Issue 5: Smol
by BeepBeepImmaPangolin9
Summary: Nickelodeon held a casting call at Ashley's school. However she wasn't casted which devastated her but at least her bestie Ella got the star role...Also they have to join with Genji Ana and Reinhart take down a dieselpunk empire in eastern Europe.
1. Chapter 1: The Casting Call

My legs are so bruised from so much cheer conditioning. My tummy hurts from the baby shark challenge too. If I never hear that song again it'll be too soon.

I walk past my dresser and Slime is lying down between my tablet and one of my purple NFinity cheer bows, "Good morning Slime!"

I wonder what else is in outer space? Whatever is out there they don't have flyers quite like me. Do they even have competitive cheer in Slime's galaxy? It's too bad nothing on Earth is slime's color.

I run down the stairs and can already smell breakfast. Ugh Judith is sitting next to my breakfast again. She's the best, and only robot fairy I've ever met but she always knows just the right way to annoy me. Huh, where's mom?

She sings in a way where you can just tell she knows she's annoying. "Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo!"

She stops when I glare at her and I reach over to grab a banana from the bowl.

Why is she checking my phone?

I sip orange juice washing down a slice of pancake.

"What are you doing?"

"Just reminding you the casting calls today. See it's already January 12th 2069."

But of course. The orange and peach sky out the kitchen window reminds me I'm up early, then back at the tiles on the wall above the sink, and at the frying pan sitting on the stove. Speaking of, can't Judith keep the salt and pepper company on the kitchen island?

Isabella's been leaving me on open a lot lately. It must be Jordan. I swear she has such an enormous crush on him, besides Chloe told me she does. She won't say why Izzy's been ignoring me though. But I think he's too short for her because he's only an inch and a half taller than her. I know she likes him since when does Izzy hang out at skate parks? She says she's waiting for Shauna because Dominque goes to that same skate park but I know the truth. Oh Jordan, your railslides and 720 airs are pretty dope! Puh-leez! Although I can see what Izzy likes about him. His eyes are dreamy, like sapphire jewels gleaming in the sun, and he's just so cool!

Jordan's 12 but according to his Instagram Isabella will turn 12 before he turns 13 so although he's almost kind of too old for her he's not really. He is cute but why doesn't she want to talk about her crush with me? She's my bestie we can tell each other anything and she knows I wouldn't tell anyone else or make fun of her. Well, not to anyone else that is.

And don't even get me started on Miss Gilet's homework, I swear she hates me.

Aaah Judith startled me! "Earth to Ashley! You there?"

"Aaah! Umm, yeah. You know that teacher with such dry and frizzy hair you just want to dump coconut oil on her head? Gosh I hate having her. Ugh she gives way too much homework!"

Judith flies over to the tiny shelf next to the potted aloe vera. "Have a good breakfast? It's honestly a miracle you got up this early" She flies into the living room but comes back sitting on the half wall. "But you have to get ready the competition's going to be brutal!"

Reminding me of the competition...gee thanks now I'm starting to feel sick.

I go upstairs walk into my closet and look at the clothes I laid out for today. Hmm...what do I want to wear? Should I go with a parakeet green or a sugar plum shade? I adore my Urban Decay eyeshadow in Last Call like so much I really love its sugar plum shade. But the green is bolder and more daring. I'm so lucky I could find matching tops with these shadows. Hmm choices, metallic sugar plum or glittery parakeet or creamy peach? Maybe my Good Vibe Society shirt? Or how about my Squad Goals shirt? No it has to be one of my polos.

I go with the parakeet green polo I'm so in love with this color. Although the amber polo goes with my eyes and skin tone and cinnamon red goes with the necklace I got last week and I just happen to have matching eye...snap out of it Ashley! If I don't choose right mom will tell me anyway, and if she didn't know Shauna would but by then we'd be on the way to school so it'd be too late anyway. Will my warmup jacket throw everything off? It's going to be 71 today.

Should I wear my green Tiek's ballet flats, or white tennis shoes?

I pick a cute parakeet green polo draping just above my waist with a white khaki A line skirt with the hemline reaching just past my fingertips.

Angel Shauna Jacob Abby Trang Carlos and Isabella had so much fun shopping with me at the mall that day, and Angel Abby and Trang spent forever at Zumiez. Good thing Isabella didn't join us because she'd embarrass herself thinking she's a skater.

I wear my tennis shoes while packing my cheer shoes. We may get out of class but cheer practice is a different story.

After showering I wrap my hair in a super absorbent towel it's going to feel so soft.

I apply Kukui oil to my hair after it's towel dried but still damp. I then mousse my hair and use rollers for curls on my slightly past shoulder length hair. All those tiny little bouncing spirals draping over my shoulders are gonna make my hair the best ever I can't wait for them to dry!

I go into my Ipsy glam bag and...wow I'll need more dry shampoo soon to keep my hair out of my way at cheer practice.

Oh my door's opening?! It's mom, of course. Why was I even startled?

"Hey mom!"

"Up earlier than usual I see. Your brother's still sleeping. Look at you getting all ready for the casting call! I'll help like I promised. I'm going to have to lighten your makeup because girls your age shouldn't even really wear it."

"But mom there's JoJo makeup at Five Below and it's for kids!"

"Though anyone would need all the help you can get to slay at the casting you know."

Yay me and mom are doing makeup together I feel so special. Although I feel uglier when she said I'll need all the help I can get. Like I know she meant other girls will look their best but still. It''ll be so worth it in the end for me.

She turns on the vanity mirror's lights, and I really hate how bright they are.

She uses an E.l.f Cosmetics Moisturizer stick, "This will help your skin feel hydrated, the air's pretty dry."

My face feels so wet but I don't look any different. She then dips a Micro Mini and normal beauty blenders in water and squeezes them. She then applies a sheer foundation with a regular sized beauty blender.

She applies rosy pink blush cream sheer on me. Mom then puts the primer on my eyelids. She uses Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow on my top lid and crease and golden shimmer on my inner corner. It looks so much lighter on my face than the Instagram models did mom weaken my makeup?!

"Why use Urban Decay Naked I wanted Last Call!"

"You still look great Ash. Today is a special occasion you really shouldn't be wearing makeup when you're 11 you know. I'm going to use the dark brown eyeliner pencil on your waterline to really brighten your eyes!"

"No! Not the waterline please!"

Mom then tells me, "Do you want this to work?"

I then stay still. I hate it touching my eye.

She then uses a coral lip liner on me to fill out the sides of my mouth and a moisturizing lip gloss. Urban Decay Naked's nude matte matches my amber brown eyes so well, although a bright complimentary color would have worked too.

I ask her, "So many Instagram models are dying their hair ultraviolet can I mom?"

She looks at my small koala plush on my desk. "Ha! No girl you're too young for dye anyway."

"Please! I wanna be as pretty as the models! I feel so bad that I can't ever be that pretty."

"Oh but you are pretty. Looking weird isn't the only trend. At least you aren't eating Tide pods."

"I know right! That's like so dumb!"

Wait a second...I tell her. "Mom, just so you know, every generation does dumb things."

I get called out of class yay! I'm so nervous, okay Ashley, take a few deep breaths. Ugh, it's Jonathan! Why did I ever like that jerk? I go down the other hall taking the long way out to avoid him.

I tell my brother, "You look great! You used my mousse again didn't you?"

He scratches the back of his head then shrugs. "Yeah but I'll pay you back don't worry."

"I would have let you borrowed it if you only asked. It does look really nice though I like how you did your hair. The spikey cut with asymmetrical bangs looks good on you. The black band tee with black Empyre skinny jeans really suits you! Especially with the dark gray denim vest."

"Thanks sis. Jacob helped me and we had so much fun shopping together."

Palm fronds clatter in the wind, a few trees peeping over the wall. I look at myself in my phone's camera and everything looks okay. While I really want to win so many of these other kids obviously won't. I feel embarrassed for some of these people, whether it's wearing the wrong makeup for their undertones or clashing colors. Though others make me feel scared I won't make it and I tell my brother. He's auditioning for an important side role.

It's such a long line, I can see the line going back into the school. I take a few controlled breaths, leaning on the tree next to me. I try getting my nervous nauseousness under control. I check my phone playing kpop in one ear and Isabella crosses her arms rolling her eyes and keeps them there. Something tells me she's not looking at clouds. Probably crushing on Jordan as usual.

I just have to bring this up to Izzy she's been way too distant lately. "People are looking at me funny! I think there are nasty rumors about me on After School again!" I take a sip of my coconut water. "You don't believe them do you Izzy?"

Her eyes shift and she flips her hair back. "Oh of course not! I know those nasty rumors aren't true."

Thank goodness! "There are things I can only tell you or my brother. I just want you to know that even if I get the role I won't stop being your friend!"

"That's nice." Isabella's tone weirdly saying she doesn't care.

Did I say or do anything wrong? She didn't even compliment me, and she always tells me I look good after coordinating this well. Maybe I should go first.

A girl from our team greets Isabella. "Oh you look amazing! I love how you glittered your bow and tennis shoes!"

It's not fair how she invited other members of our squad to glitter shoes and hang with her and not me and I'm supposed to be her bestie. And to rub it in she posted them all having fun on Insta without me. I feel like she left me out on purpose. I would have loved to be there, and she knows it.

I'm captain and center flyer, does this mean they see me more like a big sister instead of an equal friend? Well, a big sister who's one of the youngest on the team but still.

I sincerely tell her. "Someone's been trying to tear me down making me look bad behind my back and I need your help! I've always been here for you Isabella."

Angel whispers to me. "Isabella hasn't been herself lately you know I'm kinda worried about her."

Oh, Jacob's DMing me. "There are rumors Isabella said those nasty things about you on After School and Shauna can prove it wasn't Melissa."

Good thing Shauna taught us all how to get around the school's annoying Instagram block.

I look at Isabella, she rolls her eyes shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Am I up yet?

"Wish me luck bestie."

I happily run into the gym building, smiling and waving trying to hide my nervousness. I do hope I'm hiding it.

The casting director scans me up and down, with pity in her eyes. She tells me, "Sorry miss but I feel like you're too short for our show. You're pretty, just not the pretty we're looking for. I hope you understand." Sounding like she's used to crushing people's hopes. And she didn't even say hi.

The right kind of pretty? What did she mean?

I ask a girl who looks like my grade next to her, "I don't understand? Do you think I'd be picked if I went with a sugar plum or creamy peach theme instead? Or maybe it's my tennis shoes?"

She looks down to me and says, "Umm...no? You're like way too short gosh I told you already next!"

That cut me so deeply, like I fell into a deep dark hole, and wanting to separate myself from myself. After all that work mom did on my makeup and my hair. I bet whoever gets it is tall, with gorgeous wavy tresses, and already has a massive fan club. Lots of models and actresses have gorgeous blonde waves. But that's not my hair oh no.

I am not tall and will never be blonde, but everyone says I'm an amazing cheerleader. But do I really deserve my spot? Maybe I've been lucky all this time and Isabella really deserves to be center flyer? What if I'm not really a cheerleader and everyone will know I'm fake but me?

I go back into the school and I cry in a bathroom stall, tears falling down my face like a winter rain of misery and sadness, yet my soul feels like a gloomy June morning. I write smol on my right forearm in big fancy letters. At least Isabella gets to work in the industry. I'm such a salty jellyfish. I want to be on TV it's not fair! Why do I have to be so ugly? I look at myself with my phone's camera. My makeup and color coordination is appropriate for my undertones I don't get it? There's always YouTube but...oh who am I kidding? I thought I was pretty, but apparently I'm not pretty enough.

Shauna comes in and says, "Don't forget me! I have a small enough part where I won't be needed too much so I'll stay here for school instead of studying on set. Say girl what's gucci?"

Shauna gets a tissue, "Here, let me fix your makeup for you. It'd take you way too long to fix it from the start."

She blots two soft tissues making a firm corner blotting the corner of my inner eyes and tells me, "Oof your eyes look so red right now! Ok, tilt your head back. This will keep those mascara lines away. Tell me Ash, what happened to you?"

"I'm not the right kind of pretty." I sniff, and Shauna stops my tears.

"If they ever told me that I'd know exactly what they meant. But I know Lil Jacqueline doesn't have millions of fans stanning her for having a vanilla skin tone."

She lifts the makeup. Then runs a soft tissue under the faucet putting the corner where I cry.

"You're lucky you don't use the waterproof stuff, even if it sounds weird."

I sniff, feeling so happy that I have such a great friend who's there for me. "Mom says it's not really all that waterproof and is like way harder to clean anyway. My eyes feel a bit irritated I think I got some makeup in there!"

Shauna smiles at me like I got this, grabs eye drops out of her bag, and gives me visine.

I look to her, sniff, feeling a little better. "Her golden locks are gorgeous and she's so tall! And her style..."

Abby comes in.

"Sorry you didn't get the part Ashley. I know a girl who played a part in a Halfred Glitchbot movie and she says he's a pretty big jerk. I don't think you're missing out."

"Thanks. I wonder how hard my brother is going to take it? I mean he lives for acting! And music."

I can tell Abby feels bad because of her soft tone, "I'm sorry you didn't get the part. We can walk home after school together if you want and wave to all the cars and buses getting stuck in traffic. I'd really like you to come with me because we're your friends."

Shauna then says, "Yeah we can invite the whole squad!"

Abby says, "You know we've been out of class for too long."

The bell rings but I'll make up the work as I was excused for the casting call.

I see my brother crying and Jacob and Trang are comforting him.

Trang hugs him then tells him. "It's really too bad you didn't make it on the show. I remember when I wanted to get on a show but was told I didn't make it. Again I'm so sorry and if there's something I can do to make you feel better let me know friend."

Jacob then holds Angel's hands, "That's too bad. I was so sure you'd get the part too I mean I didn't apply because I knew I'd get it and..."

Trang glares at him with a now's not the time look on his face.

My brother tells them, "Thanks you guys you mean so much to me!"

We then walk up to them and I suggests, "Hey, brother, I know how much acting means to you but cheer up! Your sister is the best flyer with the best spiriting in the country."

Shauna looks into his eyes, not needing to look up too much since she's only an inch shorter, "We're walking after school. You're coming with us right?"

"Yeah." He sniffs with sadness."

We go to our classes and I have science, with that meanie Miss Gilet. But I'm so sad I don't even care right now.

The teacher then says to us after we wrote papers after reading, "Angel and Ashley shame on you! I can see why the two of you are so bad at science! Animal testing's benefits are so obvious yet you left those areas blank."

Wow Gilet is so weird...why does she hate us so much? I have a feeling she made the mutants that attacked us at the zoo weeks ago, but I can't prove it yet.

I'm still thinking of a way to get back at that no good casting director! I know how annoying it is always being called cute even when I'm trying to be serious, especially when I'm being serious.

Yes the bell! Lunch can wait, because I've just thought of the best prank ever.

Abby tells me I look so pretty and thank her. I tell her and Shauna about my plan, "I feel so hurt because they told me I wasn't like good enough you know? Well, I was thinking maybe one of you can fake being sick and when the nurse is busy with you I'll look for a laxative and see if I can steal it."

Shauna has a don't do that look on her face. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll probably get yourself in trouble."

"Thanks but I really need to do this. Wish me luck!"

I sneak into the nurse's office and it smells like latex gloves, cough syrup, and rubbing alcohol. Her cabinet's keys are too well guarded okay how do I go through with my plan?

Abby volunteers, "I'll tell her okay."

She runs into the nurse's office. "Nurse I'm sick! I feel like I'm being ripped apart inside!"

The nurse tells Abby. "Oh I know exactly what you're going through! Hold on."

Okay, no laxative so I grab her keys, the aluminum cabinet might make a whompawoosha bangy sound so I'm very careful. My shoulders are kind of sore from cheer practice. I'm standing on a table attached to the wall and floor with cabinets underneath it. I see the laxative!

"Here, let me get you some..."

Umm, okay this is so not good! I lock the cabinet, put the keys back and hide behind a bed that looks like it belongs in a doctor's office.

"Oh here they are! And some ibuprofen."

She walks back into the other room helping Abby.

"I think reducing your salt intake will help you a lot Abby. You're the only one on your soccer team who will ever go through this."

Abby sounds kind of worried. "Thanks." Then takes the water and swallows the ibuprofen.

I move behind different things and I get out of there. Now I have to find the casting director. They're still seeing people so I'll go back to the gym building.

Ugh seriously! There just has to be so many people! I ask Judith to slip a bit of laxative into her coffee.

Judith whispers, "Umm...this just doesn't feel right, you know? Do we really need to go through with this?"

"Don't worry you're so fast and small! If you get caught I'll repay you, promise!"

She bitterly glares at me with her omnic fairy eyes and anger in her voice, "You better."

Judith hides behind boxes to avoid anyone seeing her.

She's about to grab her cup, her pinky almost touching Judith, but she moves a bit avoiding it and dumps the laxative in her cup. She then flies back into my backpack.

Without any hint of shame she yells, "Next!"

She takes a sip of her coffee, "Oh my gosh it's like so bad you have no idea! Can you please excuse me I really have to use the bathroom I'm so sorry everyone!"

Disappointed awws and oh greats now I have to wait even longer could be heard.

She runs into the girl's locker room, serves you right for making people feel ugly. A satisfied warmth radiates through me.

I find Abby and we congratulate each other.

Shauna looks at me as if I spiked her drink instead. "Ashley, I know this casting call meant so much to you but you really shouldn't prank people like that. I'll watch your cheer practice then we can walk together alright?"

As I'm walking through the quad I think about practice and try getting over my casting rejection. I still feel like I shattered into a billion pieces, being told I'm not good enough.

Aliyah greets me standing under a palm. "I heard you were so sad! Oh well it's her loss you're like the best flyer and cheer captain ever!"

I smile at her, "Thank you that means like so much to me."

We're doing drills and the coach tells us. "Please don't kick so fast okay! You need to have better control! And bases, Ashley is an amazing flyer so please keep your fingers behind her heels and be ready to catch her."

After drills and stretching we practice our facials, spiriting, jumps, and basket tosses. Because our competitive cheer team doubles as a sideline cheer team.

The spring floors, cheese wedge mats, and landing mats litter our side of the gym. We don't even get the gym building's good gymnasium but hey it's practice.

For spiriting and chanting I try thinking of a happy time, but my smiles feel too forced and my voice hollow. Why does it have to be sideline cheer practice?

Wow she doesn't sound good. "Hey spirit from your diaphragm not your throat." Me and the coach told people but we're all learning. That's what practice videos on Band are for. "Much better!"

The coach tells one of our bases, "Put a bit more enthusiasm in your facials! You look bored!"

"And you! You're like so off key please cheer like you care okay!"

"And you your cartwheeling momentum could be better!"

"You're wobbling too much after landing from your toe touch! Try keeping your shoulders aligned with your hips! That's how you keep from heeling or toeing you know!"

I do a front double salto pass then jump with my hands in a V chanting, "Go team!"

Did I cheer face too hard? I'm trying so hard not to be sad from not getting into the show! I mean maybe I should have taken practice off but like my team needs me!

I practice my tumbling. I do two front handsprings then I spring off the mat spinning twice with my feet in the air then land on my feet but I feel like I'm going to fall on my butt but don't thank goodness!

Isabella has her hand on her chin with a nasty grin, "Wow you actually have some skill, but at least you didn't fall...this time."

I remember the pool party when she wore a Gucci onepiece.

The coach wants to switch people from groups. That one weak group could really use my help. I'm lucky enough to like, have the best bases ever and if your bases are weak you won't really know how proper flying is supposed to feel. If worse comes to worse they could water down the stunts for them.

Isabella chants, "Destroy, destroy the visitors! You can do it go go go!" She jumps doing a double hook and has such amazing spiriting today wow!

I feel so alive after doing a toe touch basket toss. I seriously like my squad.

I felt warmth spreading through me when I heard one of my besties got casted. I tell Isabella, "You did amazing today and congratulations on being casted! Our friends are walking together after everyone's practice. You're coming with us, right? And I'm so happy for you!"

Even if everyone drives in this city I could use the walk. We spend forever in cars anyway whenever our parents bring us anywhere.

Isabella meanly laughs, "Yeah so? I'm a star now I don't need you! I'll be working on the other side of the hill! You've always been captain and it isn't fair and I don't have to be second place to you anymore. You always get the center stunt group while I'm always further back than you. And you keep stealing all the attention that I deserve and worked for and are everyone's favorite."

I'm feeling so uneasy, a slight chill goes down my back. She may be my friend but I really hope she doesn't leave me out, "Isabella...I had no idea you felt that way. Please tell me you're coming with me and Shauna?! If you wanna be in the center stunt group you could be one of my spotters!"

"Ha! I don't need to hang out with you losers anymore. And I was born to be a center flyer and have my own show. You're like, a cancer on this team so just go away. Sorry not sorry!"

As she walks away I feel hot with anger, stand wide, and punch motion with my left hand up and my right on my hip as I yell back, "Oh yeah at least I'm not a dumb Taurus you get back here you I'll have you know I'm still captain!"

Did I really just say that to her? She's my friend!

Another cheerleader tells me, "Forget her captain. She always blames her bases for screwing up stunts anyway."

After a cradle reload...I'm too wobbly I can't find my center why!? They do a basket toss and I try spinning then hitch kick double in the air and touch my toe but I knock my bases to the floor and feel so bad about it. I hope I won't lose my position or friends over this, I lost too many already.

"I'm so sorry oh my gosh are you okay?! I didn't know where I was sorry!"

One of the bases gets up and tells me, "Honestly I'm in so much pain but you've had a tough day today. You're still the best flyer we know. We should have followed your timing better ha ha!"

Another tells me, "I don't think my feet were as wide apart as they should have been and we were out of time."

Where did my confidence go? I'm so sad and embarrassed that I hurt my bases. I thought the day couldn't get worse, sigh.

The coach tells us, "It was you Ashley. You piked too late after your kick."

Isabella then meanly looks at me. "Hey Ashley you're so short you can bungee jump off a curb! And it's no accident supermodels are all tall you know!"

I clap back to her, my hands defiantly resting on my hips, "I'm glad you're so tall because there's more of you to hate!"

She waves her hand, "Leave the team and go swerve okay?"

Her group basket tosses her and at the toss's peak she does a pretty girl while sticking her tongue out at me.

Oh that's it! I whisper to my group what I want to do. They gasp but I'm feeling so ambitious!

I hollow out and stay tight as my bases lift me. I attempt a double full basket toss. My headache may feel even worse for a few seconds I still feel so good with the air flowing around me and through my hair leaping back doing a double full twist. Then I pike and they catch me. It went so well!

Uh oh, coach looks mad. I slowly turn my head to a base and we look back to coach. "I'm disappointed in you girls! That stunt isn't even legal in high school cheer never mind middle! You don't have to flex we all know you're good Ash. And you bases shouldn't have given in! I know you knew Ashley wanted to do that stunt!"

I shrug telling her, "At least basket tossing isn't illegal in middle school cheer anymore."

I look up to her and I say feeling kinda bad, "But Isabella's being mean to me and I want to show everyone..."

"That's your problem Ash. You're so afraid people won't want to be friends with you anymore. Like I know you and Isabella aren't getting along today but please!"

She walks back and forth looking irritated. "Listen, I know you also do all star cheer for a private cheer gym but you're at school cheer practice now okay? You know you can Snap me if you ever feel the need to talk."

I look up to her worried about my spot, "Is she going to take my place as front flyer?"

"Honestly, I can't say. You're both very talented girls and we're lucky to have you both."

Coach stands right back up and claps, "Time to condition!"

Ugh no! I'm like so tired after all this practice!

We do 60 jumping jacks, 40 frog jumps, and 20 tricep dips. This is so going to hurt the next day I already feel like I'm turning into jelly!

After conditioning Isabella walks past me meanly glaring flicking my ponytail, "Do you practice tumbling under your bed? How are your aerials and cartwheels under there? You know, I could use an armrest after today's practice."

She tries resting her arm on my head but I back away, "Don't even think about it! Must be so bad being that tall with all those birds making nest in your hair like that!"

She's glares meanly into my eyes, "We were once besties so I know many of your secrets so ha! I have After School on my phone and everyone will love my delicious gossip on you!"

"I dare you! I have so much on you too!"

I'm so sad and might right now, my pulse starting to get faster.

She tells me after getting her phone, "I recorded your little banned stunt I'm so reporting you to the school!"

"You wouldn't dare! You'd get the coach in trouble too and it'd be all your fault!"

She sighs, "I suppose you're right."

"Delete the video in front of me!"

"Ugh, fine."

And her parents pick her up, "Later munchkin princess!"

Gosh what has gotten into her? I want my friend back!

I see Shauna and join her. I tell her about Isabella's nasty attitude on the way to her house.

"She's such a snob now I swear! First there was her wearing Gucci at the party thinking she's all better than us and now she's a diva because she they casted her?"

"She wants to act and keep cheering for our school. I mean how will she go to cheering practice? She'll need to have school on set if she wants to stay on set."

Carlos says hi down the hall him Angel and Jacob are waving at us.

"Hi everyone! I really appreciate you guys coming with me. I'll be so sore tomorrow morning from cheer practice! Shauna helped me with my makeup when I was crying. Those mascara lines would have been so embarrassing. Can you imagine how badly Izzy or Dean and Ryan would make fun of me if they saw me? She'd so take a picture of me and upload it to her Instagram as ha ha what a loser!"

We then find Abby and I ask her, "How was soccer practice?"

"It was okay. How was cheer practice Ash?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. Sorry but Isabella really got to me."

As we're walking down Sunnyslope Ave a guy in a car yells to us, "Hey beautiful!"

Angel and Carlos glare meanly at the car and Abby tells me, "I so hate creeps like him!" My skin crawls too, like what makes people feel like they can just objectify others like that?

Shauna then tells me, "Don't let it get to you Ashley, we're all here for each other."

I grab her hand and say. "Thanks. I hope he's just trolling. It feels so gross when he yelled that"

I ask Shauna, "Should we go down Van Nuys Blvd or Hazeltine?"

She walks with her hand on her chin, "Hmm, you know, we should probably take the left at the mall because I really don't like the underpass near it. We're gonna have to walk under the freeway anyway. Can we like please stay focused and not just be tempted to walk into Bloomingdale's okay?"

Abby has a slight laugh, "Don't you worry Shauna I won't! I'm really not into fashion. Although I might need to stop at the Disney Store."

Carlos says, "Can I stop by their Coffee Bean for an ice blended?"

I tell him, "No! If we're stopping by there we're going to Sephora okay!?"

Shauna, "Focus people!"

Angel tells her, "My gosh does the mall smell nice in that part! But yeah I just want to help my sister feel better. I didn't get a part either and I'm still sad because of it."

Carlos looks up at the Bloomingdale's sign. "Hey just like Jack Morrison's hometown!"

Isabella yells from the front seat of her mom's car when we're walking on Riverside before passing the mall, "Ugly gremlin! You think you're so great!?"

Oh how the desert winds carry madness with them.

Abby tells me, "Forget her."

We walk faster under the freeway. There's just something creepy about underpasses. The anti omnic graffiti is just ignorant. The exhaust mixing with dry dusty air and pee is not pleasant, I hope I don't get sick. Cars rumble above us, the winds echo through the underpass like a spooky cave. We all give a homeless guy 5 dollars each so our group gave him $30.

Angel asks us, "Hey how about we take a group picture in front of the tiny river?"

It's a teeny little river just past the underpass.

Shauna and Jacob love the idea and we all take off our sunglasses.

Shauna is in between Angel and me, his and my arm around her. Jacob is on Angel's other side putting his face up to his for a big smile and Carlos does a peace sign, his shiny cyan polyester basketball jersey and shorts reflecting in the light but not too badly. Abby tries glaring meanly but it's so unconvincing sorry Abby! It's a nice selfie even if I am shorter than everyone else kinda looking silly for it. I just wish I was in the frame better.

Carlos tells us, "If I keep this up I won't be fat anymore!"

Oh he's so fishing for compliments! I tell him, "Nice try!"

Carlos giggles lightly in a surprised yet playful tone. "What?!"

Angel tells him, "Someone to say oh you aren't fat but like seriously, umm, yeah I feel ugly too."

Shauna's parents find us and Malik yells. "You kids shouldn't be walking like this especially that far! Meet us by the store if you guys wanna keep your phones. And don't take pics like that you acted like tourists."

Jayla then looks down, slowly shaking her head. "What were you kids thinking? You could have been kidnapped by omnics! And they say no one walks in this city."

We go into Gelson's and Shauna's parents ask if we want frozen yogurt, sure why not?

I contain my urge to squeal, instead whispering to my squad, "Wow the cashier is so gorgeous!"

He's wearing a purple Humphrey Yogart shirt with its unique font and lime green lettering in front of an upside down coral triangle, almost shoulder length hair, and he has a lean and graceful figure and pretty lovely medium brown eyes."

He asks us looking quite concerned, "Where are your parents?"

Jayla says. "Oh they're with us."

My mom wants to say hi to Shauna's mom, "Hey Jayla! How've you been?"

"Hey, I'm like doing so good today! I saw a meme video on YouTube that was so funny! My man's newest app is really going places. Dominique still hasn't found a job. He says he's looking so hard for work but every time I see him he's at the court with his friends! I really don't trust that Connor he plays ball with."

Shauna then tells her mom with surprise, "Hey I've seen Dominique looking for work myself! He applies on his phone and asks actually showing up too."

Her mom then tells her, "I'm glad we found you it's not a safe world out there! What if you ran into Los Muertos or worse? It's a tough world out there and there are machines out there who'd just love to destroy any human they see!"

"I can get wanting to take a long walk but come on it's so dangerous for kids to just walk that far!"

Jacob then tells me, "I umm...get that it's like tough or whatever dealing with rejection but did pranking that casting director make you feel better?"

I tell him without a hint of guilt. "Yes! She deserved it for making me feel ugly!"

I hope this froyo doesn't make me fat. Cheerleaders especially ones at my level really shouldn't be eating too much sugar, even though it's so good.

Carlos is on his phone, I wonder what he's doing?

Jacob says to him, "Umm, is that the card game you're obsessed with?"

Carlos then says, "Yeah. It's so fun! You like build decks and stuff."

Jacob shrugs, "Huh, I don't care for it but if that's what you like."

Oh no it's Dean! His dad is wearing a leather jacket and ripped jeans. His dad smirks narrowing his eyes staring at Angel. "The old saying act your age not your shoe size doesn't apply to you! Where do you get those clown shoes!"

Angel stomps, crosses his arms, and yells back to him, "I don't have big feet okay!?"

Abby looks at Angel, "Forget them let's go."

Dean looks at us, "I'm so bringing the drama to you guys so watch out! I can't bully you guys right now though I need to do other things." He puts on sunglasses, looks into his phone, and combs his hair back.

Trang Facetimes my brother.

"Hey, Angel. I'm sorry I couldn't be there I had to practice base I'm watching tutorials on YouTube at the studio. You know we pretty much already slay! Oh, is Ashley still upset over casting?"

My brother tells him, "Yeah I am you have no idea my gosh!"

"Do you know how hard it is for an Asian to break into the industry? On top of that I'm like such a tall beanpole I'm 5'0" and I even told you I auditioned and even if umm, like I did get in I'd probably have to act all stereotypical or whatever...sorry, I knew you didn't mean 'you have no idea' like that. Crazy Rich Asians was how long ago again?"

Angel's voice softens. "No, you don't need to apologize Trang, I feel like we should share our feelings more often. It just feels like being rejected makes me feel like I'm ugly, like I'm not even good enough or others wouldn't even like me! I practice acting like so much I'm even in drama club! Ashley though isn't but yeah, she's like the best sister ever and they told her she doesn't have the beauty they're looking for!"

"They meant she's too short and not blonde yeah everyone knows it."

Is...that my dad? Hey it's dad oh my gosh the day is so much better now! I really can't stand to see my brother so hurt from the casting director's rejection. Her diarrhea serves her right ha ha!

My brother, with the sincerest of tones tells him, "Thanks for calling me Trang, it means so much to me."

Dad waves and tells us, "Hey kids! Your mom called and said you'd be here! Wow you've grown so much! Come on kids let's go!"

We drop off Carlos and Jacob because dad didn't get a response for their parents while Angel Abby and I sleep over Shauna's.

We're sitting on the floor as Shauna's brother Dominique comes in. He's wearing a light gray sleeveless hoodie and white undershirt and black Nike's.

"Hey sis! How's your day been? "

He's slightly giggling thinking about something.

Shauna tells him, "Umm, let's see, it really didn't go that well for my bestie Ashley here so I helped her. How was your day?"

Dominique tells her looking in her direction, playing X-Box. "I gotta tell you the truth, I don't know it's like umm, yeah those omnics or whatever wow seriously that tank was ta-rash! Oh, sorry sis, had to stay awhile after practice."

Dominique looks at my brother, "Hey do you play this game!?"

Angel tells him, "Yeah."

Dominique smiles proudly, "My granddad keeps winning world tournaments in this game! Play me!"

Angel's Meka is ruined, but it's a close enough game.

An old guy wearing Adidas track pants and teal T shirt walks in.

Dominique greets him, "Hey what's up Jeremiah!"

"How many times have I told you it's grampa or gramps to you! I'm like so gonna crush you! Give me the controller!"

My brother gives him the controller.

Dominique didn't stand a chance. He was way too outsmarted by his grandpa's legendary reflexes and experience.

Shauna rolls her eyes shaking her head, "Okay grandpa let me play verse Angel."

I tell her, "Good luck."

She seems quite even with my brother. Both playing a complicated game of hide and seek and cooldown and save their defense matrix for the right time. I'm standing up with my head resting on the back of the couch in my arms.

"Looks like she's winning brother."

Angel says, "I'm not out yet!"

Shauna then defeats him. My brother smiles and looks at Shauna, "Wow you're umm, really good!"

Dad then tells Angel, "You were doing so good too son! You had fun and are spending time with amazing friends, which is what really matters."

Angel looks at him, "I know right! Ashley and I have the best friends, and dad ever!"

Dominique tells him, "You're going to beat me in a few years, maybe even months you two are like so even! I'm only Diamond that's like the top 10%"

Jayla comes back into the living room. "So you actually were looking. I think I know what the problem is. You weren't kidding when you said you need experience to get the job! But like how do you umm, even get experience if you don't even work like seriously! I also think you didn't make the hirers trust you enough. The world isn't fair."

Dominique then tells her shaking his head looking down then back to her, "Thank you for your support but I need to tell you a secret. We argue so much it hurt my confidence on the court so I didn't play as well. My friends at the court even noticed me playing worse. I just feel so guilty."

He checks his phone, "Oh good I kept my Snapstreak! Don't wanna leave him on open. Anyway we haven't been in Atlanta in years, the omnium attack destroyed our home and we were lucky enough to afford a place like this. I was like literally so scared of us dying, but we made it. It took like forever finding a job here but I did it, but before I did I felt so dumb and like I'm not good enough."

Dominique thanks him for his support, "Yeah that's kind of how I feel. Even if I do get the job I'm afraid I'll be like so worthless and just waste the boss's money and I'd feel so bad about that."

Shauna's dad puts his hand on Dominique's shoulder looking sincerely in his eyes, his mustache lifting giving motivation. "I believe in you. So much may be stacked against you but remember if your friends don't want to be your friend anymore because you did better for yourself then they weren't really your friends anyway."

Judith's wings are fluttering and she whispers to Angel and me, "That was so sweet!"

I shoo her back into Angel's bag and whisper, "They have a bad history with omnics!"

"But I just want to be part..."

"When we're away from the grownups okay? Malik still doesn't know about you."

Dad says to Shauna's dad, "Can I have the couch?"

Shauna's dad Malik says, "Of course you can! The girls are sleeping in Shauna's room while the boys sleep in the living room and you parents get the guest bedroom."

Shauna invites us into her room and she says asks if we're gonna read Twilight. I exclaim, "No! Gosh I swear that isn't even funny!"

Shauna tells us, "Just kidding, should we read The Hate U Give?"

Abby, Judith, and I agree. We then stop reading then start with The Adjustment changing pace. We Snap our annotations. Oh we unlocked an achievement for sending book annotations 50 times! We really love reading!

Shauna then says, "Yeah seriously. People always felt like they should single people out for being different. It's stupid I know! Why can't everyone like, get along?"

Abby grabs Shauna's Snapchat dancing hot dog plush and throws it at me and says as she giggles, "Pillow fight!"

We all have fun throwing Shauna's pillows.

We help each other with homework and I say, "If it's worth nothing then why even bother mentioning it?"

Shauna then tells me, "Umm...I think that says noting."

My gosh how didn't I see that?

We Snapchat each other with fun filters. Abby sent me a dancing hot dog dancing on Shauna's dresser. I send her and Shauna me duckfacing with a bear ears filter. We all laugh.

I then say to Shauna, "Hmm, you know how they say like Mary Sues are bad? Then how did Hermione become so popular huh?"

Shauna strokes her chin looking up, "You know, that's a really good question!"

Carlos suddenly Snapchats us smiling. "I don't think she's a Mary Sue because she's like so obsessed with following rules. She makes the rest of her squad do it too I can see how it'd be annoying."

I then tell him, "Like how you're being annoying now?

Then we watch Riverdale on our tablets and get into a hair circle combing each other's hair.

A week later. Whew my tests are all good! I hate having to do all this stupid work! At least I can stay captain of the cheer squad. Most of my team not recognizing me as captain makes me kinda sad and even blames me for their mistakes. I swear 8th graders think they know everything!

People in the hall are giggle meanly at me. Umm, ok?

I'm getting ready for cheer practice, my teammates echoing in the locker room...without my voice joining theirs. Backpacks thump in metal lockers, I shake my cheer shoes and as usual there are no scorpions. I change into my cheer gear, my dry shampoo spray hissing at me.

Oh there you are Isabella. Honestly I'm afraid she'll actually take my captain spot. She has been doing good while I feel like I'm slipping so much. Is my popularity slipping too? Isabella seems jealous of me being captain.

I cross my arms leaning against a wall of lockers, "I know you read my post on Band."

Isabella smirks, a corner of her mouth turning up. "Whatever, unfriend! Have fun at the Goodwill sale, little gremlin! Oh, according to After School you do shop there and kissed so many boys! And just so you know your advice on everyone's practice videos was like, so awful!"

Oh that's it. I'm so irritated with her, after all these years, after all we've been through she treats me like this? We got along so well before what changed?

We need at least 4 to make a stunt group so...who's in mine now?

Ugh I swear I can't hit these stunts anymore!

My front spot mocking and guiltily tells me, "Wow Ashley it really isn't like you to fail stunts so badly!"

"And it's not like you to ignore my posts on Band!"

No...no it isn't. I bet she's friends with Isabella. She's holding my foot wrong on purpose I can't stay tight like this.

"I tried my best to stay tight you know! It's literally impossible for a flyer to do well without her bases."

"If certain flyers didn't kiss everyone in school and shop at thrift stores they'd be worth holding up."

You're only teasing me to look cool in front of Isabella and I know her way better than you do. I don't care how many muffins she brought you guys to a party she didn't even invite me to and we learned how to bake them together. I just tell her "Kay." That's a K ending in a period too.

I then smirk putting my finger and thumb on my chin. I shift my weight to my other foot, "Say, I can ask the coach if you two can spot for miss diva over there?"

One lets out a big ha, "Like that'll ever happen! I mean what school lets a 6th grader be cheer captain! If anything goes wrong just know it's your fault!"

"But I thought you didn't like spotting for, 'thrift store' girls! That's also funny coming from someone who uses the earbuds that come with their phone so ha ha! "

The coach agrees with me, "Umm, yeah I really think you two would be better with Isabella."

She pulls me aside, squats, and looks into my eyes saying, "Ashley...is everything okay? You've really been off your game lately."

"I'm okay, it's just that between the pimples, feeling fat, and Isabella not liking me anymore."

She looks down as I crane my neck listening to her. "Don't worry Ashley you're the two best flyers I've seen in my entire life! I'm pretty sure you two will get along again."

"I even told her I was so happy she got to be in the show but she was like I don't like you anymore and you've always stolen spotlights that belong to me!"

I feel my eyes warm and a tear falls.

I find Jacob and Angel.

Jacob says, "Don't worry Isabella will be our friend again."


	2. Chapter 2: Going on a Mission

I look down at my dangling feet, thinking about the casting call. I still can't believe that casting director. It still hurts but I feel a bit better after everyone tried helping me out of my slump, showing they care about me. Mom gently pets my shoulders. "Don't worry Ashley you didn't do anything wrong. The industry is cruel and everyone knows it hurts people's self esteem. Don't let anyone make you feel ugly, even a casting director. And no matter how talented you are there can always be something outside of your control keeping you out. Even if you got the role you're looking at a life full of rejection and reminders of how you just don't measure up to the big stars."

Ugh, she really doesn't get it. I get out of my chair before my legs start to hurt. I rest my head on her, letting my warm tears flow down them. How can she not understand just how close I came to being a star but that stupid casting director was probably jealous? I could never be a casting director, telling people who may be pretty talented they just aren't right.

And do you really want people talking about your biggest insecurities? Especially the very people paying you? Never mind all the people on social media and YouTube critics who won't hesitate for a second to roast not just your acting but whatever physical features you're insecure about. And you'll always need to be careful of the razzi. They're like hungry lions, ready to pounce whenever you're in a moment of weakness. They'll post their stories and moms would be like but my little girl looked up to her why is she like that? And you'll grow up."

I back my head away looking up into her eyes, "Who do you think I am where you'd be afraid of that?"

She puts a piece of my hair behind my ear. "Ashley, dear, it's not what you think. They can lie about so many things just to make you look bad just for the sake of drama. Your misery could be their money and they know it. Please think about what I said if you really want to act. It's a cruel and scary industry, you'll never feel more judged in your life."

Judith then tells me. "I'm wonderful but do you think they'd ever cast an omnic like me? Ha, no. And tourists would bother you while you eat. No offense Ashley but you look like a mess. You'd feel better after a nice relaxing shower."

Well it's been so dry so I think the kukui oil shampoo and argan oil conditioner will help me. Ugh I'm slimed? Tsk, I'm so past my boiling point. I huff and grab an unopened argan oil shampoo and thankfully this one is not full of slime.

After showering and getting dressed I come out and Judith's laughing at me. "You should see your face right now!"

"You're dead get back here!"

She flies around the living room and kitchen.

Oh, there's a knock. Angel and I run up and hug dad. "Hey dad!"

He pats us on the back and says. "I know it's short notice and sorry for not messaging you but I'm going to need your help."

I look up. "So what do you want us to do?"

He says, sounding serious. "There's this country that pollutes soooo much! They look like they're stuck in the 1930's but with our technology and everything's diesel. You have no idea how gross it is."

Oh an adventure? This is so exciting! "And we're gonna stop them right?"

"That's right we are! We'll be taking Winston's spaceship and Rein Amille Genji and Ana will be joining us. And Mia and Isabella."

My mouth is making a thin line as I stare at my dad.

"What's that face for?"

"Dad, Isabella are you serious I'm not talking to her anymore! We hate each other she betrayed me!"

He slowly blinks once, his chin kind of lowering. "You guys were besties for so long. Maybe you hurt her without realizing it?"

"No dad you don't get it she got a show and thinks she's too good to be my friend."

Angel tells me. "And she also wore all those expensive brands low key telling us she's better than us."

"Yeah but still! It hurts that she didn't feel like she could tell us what was bothering her. I felt like I could tell her anything! Yet all of a sudden she's saying all these mean things to me!"

I'm looking out the window at the trees and houses. The sun's beam makes its way back here in the middle seat without the tall seats in front blocking it.

We make it to Winston's and I wave hi to Shauna. "Hey Shauna ya ha!"

"Hey! Think I could use this robot I made in class? You know the one Ryan keeps bragging about getting over perfect in?"

Winston laughs. "I bet you got an amazing grade on it but I don't think we'll need it."

Winston walks with us to an underground passage where his spaceship is.

Isabella slightly looks down, glaring at me. "Careful, or you might ruin the entire world. If we fail I'll know it's all your fault!"

Winston says. "Well, she's sort of right. We fail and all that pollution will destroy us. Don't feel bad though she doesn't know how well you'll do."

Mia then tells him. "And don't let my Izzie do anything too dangerous! She's the star of a future hit show you know."

Shauna asks after craning her neck looking for where windows we'd see out of, "Wait a minute, how are you supposed to see anything?"

Winston tells her. "Because the window is like a one way mirror made of steel, we see out but they can't see in. Besides that my cameras show our gunners the outside with screens so they feel like they're playing a video game. Like if I use special lights so they can see things they normally wouldn't like if me or Athena use an X-Ray they can't see it if they just look out the window but can on the screen."

The ship itself has a few small rooms, but not so small we're all uncomfortable. Like on the subway you can stretch your legs without touching the seats across from you.

"Athena, we're ready to fly!"

Everything feels like it's shaking. I tell my brother. "Like a fun ride isn't it?"

"I wanna go home I'm scared!"

Dad tells him, "Sorry, we need you."

Angel crosses his arms scowling. Then smiles as he looks out the window.

Being up here in the air feels way smoother than takeoff.

Winston looks back, smiling. "It's powered by solar. The only thing faster than light is the darkness...and my spaceship, well at least on Earth ha ha."

Genji starts talking. "You know what I really hate? Whenever someone keeps bringing up how different you are. Oh you're an omnic. It's like yes, I know, now can we please actually talk about something that doesn't remind me I'm different?"

I get up and tell him on the way to the fridge. "Ugh, tell me about it! Every time at school it's like oh you're so tiny! And people are like oh my gosh aren't you adorable! Like a fricken puppy. Yes, and? Even if I change the subject there it somehow gets brought up again!"

Mia sounding as mean and rude as ever. "They could bring up you stealing attention that belongs to others."

Dad glares at her, his mustache turning down. "Hey Ashley worked hard to get where she is! She's an amazing daughter and your daughter really hurt her feelings you know."

Ana tells Rein. "My daughter is doing so well at field hockey."

I really don't like how everyone's starting to fight so I come up with an amazing idea. "Maybe we can all go out for ice cream when we take down their empire!"

Isabella says in her you idiot voice. "Oh puh leez I know you just wanna ruin my figure."

I quietly say while lightly pounding my armrest, "Ice cream, ice cream!"

Isabella crosses her arms turning away from me like she does when she's obviously annoyed.

I whisper to her temptingly. "You know you want some...ice cream!"

"Stop it Ashley you're not funny!"

She gets up and walks away and Shauna takes her place. "Forget her. Wonder if they have prickly pear sorbet?"

Winston tells us to look out the window and we see lots of black smoke. I think we're in the right place.

Winston says. "Welcome to Eastern Europe. We are landing at what used to be Lithuania."

Dad tells us. "You see those fences blocking off large parts of sidewalk? They're doing it because of the homeless so I definitely won't take you guys there. And of course there are so many homeless tents like any other city."

Genji says. "You know we should probably find somewhere far enough away to land. The palace is protected so we'll need to destroy the shield generator."

Jayla says. "Leave that to me. Shauna and I will rig the area with cameras so we'll know if anyone's coming."

Athena warns us. "Message incoming."

It sounds like someone with an Eastern European accent. "Identify yourselves, you are in Dieselopolis airspace."

Winston then says. "I am doing scientific research. It could really help your country."

"According to our database you're a wanted criminal, give yourselves up, our planes can go around the world in half an hour."

Winston giggles whispering to us. "Big deal 12 galaxies out is half an hour to me."

Shauna sees their machine gun fire so she shields it just in time but it pops in under a second so Athena activates the shields and she says. "These won't last too long."

Ana is on laser cannon. She hits one of their ships going at full speed but there are 3 behind and 3 forward and one of them is smoking.

Winston sees them firing rockets so he makes the ship duck and fly fast past them so the rockets hit a ship back and dad uses machine guns to finish off the ship Ana hit.

Ana stretches her shirt collar, looking nervous. "Looks like our shields won't hold."

We're being followed and are getting hit so much!

Athena warns us. "Shields down."

Uh oh that doesn't sound good. I want us all to live! Even Isabella! I hug my brother.

I tell him. "Don't worry we'll be okay."

Mia rolls her eyes. "Can't you guys do anything? I mean come on Abe do you even know what you're doing?"

Dad goes ugh. "Yes! Lucky for us no one will know we're the invaders. Me and Jayla have Blackwatch training you know."

We turn and hide in big cloud of black smoke.

Amille says. "The sniper cannon on this uses special lights so we can see anything coming up on our screen. It'll show we can take one out from here the special lights can help us see through smoke without giving us away."

The ship swerves really fast towards us and is a mile away but Amille hits it perfectly right when it charged back to full. Winston moves our ship out of the ship's way and we fly out of the smoke plume.

Amille stumbles a bit and falls on the couch. "Tell Girard...to stop by CVS for me I need ibuprofen I'm so dizzy and nauseous from all that spinning tracking those planes."

Winston smiles. "That won't be necessary because my spaceship's bathroom cabinet has some!"

I ask. "Is it on the bottom shelf?"

Winston says. "Nope."

Then Jayla offers and brings her water from the fridge. "Don't worry Ana and Amille you did great."

We fly a little behind it and notice it moving so we keep firing but lower again to stay out of its vision.

Just as it fires rockets Mia uses a shield of swirly light eating the rockets and it shoots a laser back destroying the plane.

Mia serenely says. "Anything is possible if you unlock your higher consciousness and open up your chakras."

Winston then says. "Did you pick that up from your yoga instructor by any chance? And it's pronounced shock ra, not cha kra! Anyway your aim was fantastic!"

Athena tells us. "I don't detect any more bad guys. And I found a good landing spot."

Winston says. "Prepare for landing!"

We land in a soot covered grassy field with many different trees. Winston turns the ship invisible but tells us. "We need to hurry or else it'll reappear blowing our cover."

Dad then says. "Do I at least have time to stop by a Coffee Bean?"

We walk to the road and then the city with Angel speeding us.

Judith notices. "Don't use it too much we'll need your power for later."

There's a big dark gray fort in the distance that kind of looks like a spikey factory. It's really sinister looking I really don't trust it.

We finally make it to Coffee Bean where dad orders a Malibu Dream ice blended and Isabella orders a green tea matcha ice blended so I copy her, which annoys her and I can tell because she rolls her eyes.

"Don't copy me!"

"But why don't you want to be my friend anymore!"

"I told you."

Mia then tells me. "Because your negative energy hurts our energy flow and your star signs aren't compatible."

Winston then whispers to her, but I'm close enough to hear. "Umm, actually Taurus and Cancer get along quite nicely."

Mia tells him. "Excuse me but you don't even have a star sign. Weren't you like born on the moon?"

Isabella tells her. "Mom, let it go please."

A corner of Isabella's mouth turns as she makes an evil face. "You know maybe we should walk very slowly all next to each other! Gosh we'll annoy so many people."

Shauna tells her. "Are you kidding! The people don't deserve that just because their emperor wants to take over the world!"

Izzie crosses her arms, "Ugh, fine."

Ana tells us. "Since the air here is pretty awful we should probably get our tea extra strong we'll get way more antioxidants that way."

The barista says. "Oh, tourists."

What did he call us? It's all Isabella's fault he thinks that. I'm beginning to stew, badly. "Excuse me?"

Dad looks down telling me. "When we open our mouths people know we aren't from here."

Like we'd ever hog the sidewalks or bike lane.

Reinhart chugs his tea. "Hmm, that's actually pretty good. This purple and white ice blended is seriously gonna kill those idiot free radicals!"

Ana smirks. "Too bad ice blendeds are full of sugar. Should have gone with iced."

Reinhart slurps his last ice. "I regret nothing!"

He's rubbing his forehead and sounds sad. "But now I have brain freeze!"

Winston is wearing a fake mustache, even though he's already in his human disguise. His human form is so famous it needs its own disguise. Yet on Halloween everyone thinks his real self is an amazingly lifelike costume.

We drink our tea inside because it smells like exhaust and pee outside, like even worse than where we're from.

Black smoke trails all the cars and omnics, and everyone gives Genji and Judith dirty looks.

Genji sighs. "I can only imagine how bad this city smells." His voice saying he actually misses being human but dwells on the good of being a cyborg making himself feel better.

We walk past countless strip malls, weeds in street and sidewalk cracks, and trash blowing everywhere. Like back home in America, but with worse pollution.

Dad says. "I'm hungry."

Jayla then tells him. "There's a food truck up ahead that says Strix's."

We order from the food truck, a man with a thick Eastern European accent takes our order and tells us his truck has the best tortillas in all of Europe. My brother and I order a soft taco with portabella and soy with cheese and sriracha. Rein gets a huge beef burrito with cheese and spicy garlic sauce and Jayla and Shauna order sweet potato tacos, soft shell like mine. Dad gets his fried. Gosh it smells so good being fried in what smells like coconut oil and seasoned with chili oil. He gets it topped with red salsa and avocado slices with lime on the side.

I also ask. "Can I get some Nummy Yummy cola to go with it please?"

Dad blinks twice. "Wha?! You and your brother will get fat if you keep eating like that! Besides you should especially know better like soda makes you feel tireder and thirstier faster. And we're getting ice cream later too."

Hmm, good point.

Isabella says. "Let her get the soda, I wanna laugh at her when she gets fat."

The food truck guy says. "Good choice! I knew a vegan who thought it's meat pretending not to be meat and she said if it looks and tastes like meat then it has to be. But the texture, shade of brown, and especially the taste are just way too different to say it is."

With cheese and sriracha, just the way we like it.

We pay him in Euros.

He smiles and says, "Good choice. You won't find food this good at 7-Eleven."

Rein runs across the street and orders a froyo. I guess being super tall gives him a pretty big appetite though it's not fair he gets to have a treat already.

Genji says. "Well fighting on an empty stomach is a bad idea. Not that I personally have to worry about it"

Judith's antennas light up sky blue while her eyes glow lime green meaning she's looking up data. "I've looked up climate change data and picked up readings and...yeah it's bad. I can see why Jack sent us."

Shauna looks to me. "Too bad Jacob Carlos and Abby couldn't make it."

Angel tells her. "Carlos and Jacob are visiting relatives and Abby is at a national tournament. And we're missing her stream! Like so many strangers know what one of our besties is doing before we do!"

Winston reassures him. "Don't worry you'll all still be close friends, unless of course one of you gets jealous and doesn't feel like you have to be friends anymore."

Ana narrows her eyes a bit. "Winston...you aren't helping."

Winston looks down, his eyes going left and right. "Sorry! I tried though. You know what I hate? Whenever people judge you for not liking certain food without trying it it's like umm it looks or smells gross people? Hello!"

Isabella tells him. "Big fricken mood!"

We hear clanking down the alley just keep walking peo...oh come on! I look behind me and Rein tells Winston. "Hold my froyo." Rein then marches down the alley like he's not going to get the rest of us in trouble. Besides it smells like hot trash dry dusty air and pee down this alley even worse than everywhere else. Not surprised because there's literally a full dumpster. The walls are all tagged up too but I can't read that language.

Uh oh I don't like the looks of this, I feel my heart beating faster and mouth getting dryer, and I don't think it's the air or exhaust. There's a dangerous looking mugger yelling at a homeless guy. "Why do you have a phone huh?"

He says back. "I can find jobs and keep in touch with family and I'd appreciate it if you could just mind your business."

Before the mugger could pull a switchblade on him Rein puts the thin side of the end of his wrist against where the guy's throat meets his chin.

"Listen you, I am a crusader and defender of the innocent. I swear if I ever catch you attacking the defenseless again you'll have to answer to me!"

He's scared, but Rein isn't pressing too hard so he can still talk. "But he's homeless! And the poor in general aren't innocent you know that don't you?"

Rein trips him and pulls on the mean guy's shin hair making him scream high pitched.

"The way you see things disgusts me. Now get lost."

He stumbles away pointing to Rein. "Y-Y-You'll be hearing from my lawyer you got that! It's my right teaching the poor and homeless their place!"

The poor homeless guy. How do we even let people live like that? I seriously doubt anyone would choose to live that way if they could really help it.

Shauna grins. "That was lit Rein!"

We keep walking and we actually see others walking too. A girl runs up to us and asks. "Hey you're Ashley Reyes aren't you!"

Okay, I feel kind of weird, like a spotlight suddenly shining on me. "Umm..."

She then tells me. "I watch cheer streams and oh my gosh you're amazing! Your team always wins the finals! Verse England one year, then India, then Brazil."

I pretend not to notice Izzie crossing her arms mockingly moving one side of her mouth, obviously jealous of my attention.

She then goes on. "And you're great too Isabella! You're like the greatest ever at the bow and arrow!"

Izzie flips her hair and smiles. I can tell she's trying to stay cool but really loves the compliment. "Thanks...I get that a lot."

Genji says. "Actually, my big brother..." Amille interrupts him by elbowing him in the chest and whispers. "Now's not the time!"

Our fan goes on. "But my team never ever makes it to worlds! Is something wrong Aliyah isn't with you guys!"

Winston tells her. "That's because you have so much pollution! All that carbon is a bad wildfire hazard too."

And it'd be too big for Jacob's dad to take care of by himself, not that he's here anyway.

I tell her. "She couldn't make it and we aren't here on cheer business anyway."

I still can't believe she recognizes us without our cheer gear.

She has more to say. "I'm tired of all this smelly pollution and I hate the emperor."

I know how you feel. "I failed a casting call and it made me feel so ugly and unworthy."

Isabella closes her eyes with her hands on her hips. "Well I didn't."

Her mom politely tells us they have to get going and I sign my autograph on her napkin.

Reinhart calls for a huddle at the subway station after Winston swipes his card for all of us to pass the turnstile lights.

"Okay, we obviously can't just go in the way we are so we'll need disguises."

Judith then tells him. "Like that's gonna work. Me and Jayla can disable security then we can fight our way through."

I crane my neck looking up to Winston. "Are we there yet?"

He looks down smiling. "We're near. But we need to find a way in and can put up a make believe shield so attention isn't drawn to it missing."


	3. Chapter 3: Operation Shield Generator

Chapter 3

As we watch my dad steal a truck Angel tells me. "It's so not fair how Isabella hates you now. Now we know why Isabella told Samantha about her new cat and not you." I can tell he hates seeing me sad over my friend not liking me anymore.

I'm starting to feel hollowness spreading under my ribs. "I should have seen it coming. Remember when Isabella went to that party without me and she brought everyone muffins? Like she put that party all over Insta. Not that I needed to be at Samantha's stupid party anyway because me Shauna and Abby had the best sleepover ever at Shauna's."

I look at Isabella meanly. "And we learned so much about each other."

I whisper to Shauna, "Remember when Abby told us she almost followed her crush into the boy's locker room?"

She giddily whispers back. "That would have been an embarrassing no no."

We both look back at Isabella crossing her arms rolling her eyes. Being left out doesn't feel good now does it, Izzie?

Dad drives while the rest of us go in the back.

Isabella glares at me. What's her problem she's the one who threw out our years of friendship like trash.

Shauna asks. "She still hates you doesn't she?"

"Yeah. I think she feels bad for kicking one of her bases in the face and landing on hers going for a front handspring double full in front of Jordan."

Isabella's face turns red, then she glares at me, a face telling me to run.

"You're dead Ashley!"

I run away and Rein holds her as she reaches her arms out still trying to grab me. "Let me go! Ashley you promised not to tell anyone about that!"

"Oh please like you're any better? You were supposed to be my best friend! I had to hear from Chloe that you even like Jordan and what's with not inviting me to the party? And that was when we were still besties."

She rolls her eyes. "Because then everyone will be like oh hi captain and you'd be like aren't I so great? Remember when you pretended I didn't exist at Aliyah's birthday party?" She sounds calmer but I can still tell she's mad at me.

I then tell her. "Oh you mean how you were on your phone in a circle with your other friends leaving me out and not even telling me what you were all doing?"

She huffs, looks away and looks back at me. "Well everything's been all about Shauna with you now!"

"Hey leave her out of this! She was your friend too you know. And remember when you dropped your fries and I was the only person to ever help you when everyone else was laughing at you?"

Isabella is mad but Genji catches her and she waves her arms at me being held. "You don't know when to quit do you Ash! I'll get you do you hear me! And you just love being the big hero don't you? Always getting most of the credit for our squad winning. And how can I not drop all those fries after all that tumbling especially front handsprings. And conditioning drills."

I think it's time she hear how I really feel even if she should really know by now anyway. "Hey I know it's all of us! We practice and practice and then we all coordinate perfectly together! The tumblers always landing on their feet together, bases gripping our shoes in just the right way where we can feel tight and confident."

"Yeah you have a funny way of showing that when coach is like oh yes Ashley is so perfect and you just smirk and go well she's not lying."

Oh that's it. "Remember when Jonathan just walked up to me and told me flat out sorry I don't date elementary kids! You're the only person I ever told about him! You told him didn't you?"

Isabella looks at me. "I dunno, maybe." And walks away flipping her hair like she's too good for us.

Shauna's eyes widen in that I'm so surprised way. "Wait, you didn't tell me?"

My brother looks at me too. "Or me! I know him and he's seen you in the courtyard so he knows you aren't elementary. It hurts when you don't open up to us."

Isabella smirks. "On the other hand it hurts when she told me so ha ha!"

Rein says "We're slowing down. There's a window that looks out if you want to stand on my shoulders."

Rein picks me up and I look out the back of the truck's small window and through the other window. I wave hi to dad. Poor dad, he has to sit in that dirty front seat with all those empty soda cans and empty bags of fast food.

These bored looking guys wearing blue custodian uniforms wave a light thingy over our truck.

He says. "You're good to go."

Oh thank goodness!

Uh, oh…Looks like we're caught!

A guard smirks looking down at Angel, "How was the Zumiez sale kid?"

His cheeks puff and mouth scrunches.

Dad tells the guard. "You're one to talk, you have coffee stains all over your shirt."

"These just happen to be my work clothes okay! I don't go out of my way to look like a skater poser."

A diesel powered Bastion unit fires at us but my tonfa and Genji's knife reflect its bullets back destroying more security bots and him. Judith flies over a pretty big robot attaching a cord from them to her, and it's now like she's mind controlling it. She sends the message, "I just found out that the front guards were spies so we've taken care of them. Staff is here to upgrade the shield's unit."

Dad hi fives the security bot.

Angel asks Judith, "Aww can we keep it?"

She says. "Sorry, no."

The halls have a line of neon light running near the ceiling on the grayish blue walls.

Ugh, these guys again? They point at us yelling. "Intruders! Get them!"

Other guards say. "Do we look like fools to you? Just go, we know you're really spies!"

"Oh that's it! You haven't heard the last from Volskaya Industries!"

We spent literally half an hour getting that fake shield thing in.

We leave and random people say. "That power outage didn't last long usually they're much worse."

Just like home, random power outages. In some ways America really is like the rest of the world.


	4. Chapter 4: The Infiltration

Dad tells us. "I can tell the emperor's a jerk I mean look at this place. He even turned forests into industrial farms. We can't let anywhere else become wasteland. "

Jayla tells him. "It's okay we'll get him."

The trees around us creak in the wind, soot blowing everywhere like pollen.

Reinhart interrupts them. "We should really be getting back to the spaceship you guys."

A really fast car goes past us, I can taste the exhaust we really should have brought N95 masks the air is so awful. I hear sirens, and so many people will see the car chase.

We walk along a freeway with a long row of oleander hedges and Amille says, "Oleanders are such bright and colorful yet deadly flowers, beauty tarnished by this country's disgusting soot addiction."

I feel anxious and really sick between driver's staring like we don't belong here and their terrible exhaust. Why do we have to walk so much?

Ana says. "Okay I regret not asking us to rent cars."

We keep a safe distance because a guy in diesel power armor holding an electric spear uses rocket boosters to knock the car over.

He calmly says. "Get out."

Reinhart whispers. "I've heard about him! He's a pretty skilled knight and personally guards the emperor."

He picks the guy up by one arm without any soot going everywhere which I think means he's just using his real strength and not the powered armor. He then seats him.

We reach the end of the oleander hedges and rush down the steep dusty hill back to our spaceship. Ahh it's such a relief being inside where it's warm.

Winston smiles pressing a button on his phone undoing his human disguise. "Oops wrong one."

He disguises back into a human and makes the ship visible again and we go inside. Ugh, finally now we're versing them for real this time.

Reinhart's looking at his eye booger a little too long.

Winston flies through plumes of smoke, the castle is pretty big and spikey. It's made of black metal. We fly into a garage and park then Jayla uses a card to open the big ship door.

The guards let us through.

That was such a relief. "You're the best Jayla."

We walk through the castle and we raid the kitchen. Isabella asks if I could get her the peanut butter, maybe this can be my chance to be her friend again? There aren't any stepstools so I step on a chair onto the cabinet and grab it but I can't open it. Why must my hands be so tiny?

Winston walks over. "I'm a righty let me."

I don't believe it, Izzie was laughing this entire time!

Winston eats the peanut butter, washing it down with Cactus Cooler.

We walk down the hall but a guard glances at us, but he has a fake smile and makes his eyes bigger.

He turns looking at his phone Genji tells us. "Stay quiet I'm taking him out he obviously thinks we're a threat." While Winston looks behind us.

Genji runs at him and does a double front tuck then puts his arm around his throat while he's coming down. He's still breathing but obviously alive.

I giddily hop and and down smiling for real. "You were so Genjitastic then!"

"He he, thanks."

Oh no a big group of diesel knights!

We rush at them but this tall one keeps staying away from me! And his backpack exhaust makes me feel like puking.

His eyes narrow and smirks. "What are you gonna do you're so tiny!"

Oh that, is, it! He puts his hands on the top of my head I can't ever reach him! I take a few steps back and front layout kicking him in the chest. I roll back jumping back up then punch his shoulder which is high up and covered in metal. His forearm hits me and I fall. It's times like these I'm glad I'm a witch. The fall still hurt but normally it'd be enough to make anyone cry.

I yell. "Stop making me look so lame!"

He says back. "Stop being lame little girl."

Ana blocks one of his punches and judo throws him to the ground and stabs him with a sleep dart. I wish I could be more help.

Reinhart tells a knight a knock knock joke. "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Reinhart." "Reinhart who?" "Reinhart gonna whoop your butt!"

He extends his arm really far with his right while his left moves back as his entire right side turns with him, his fist making contact with the side of the knight's face. Rein's staggering so he slides on his feet crouching elbowing him just under his ribs then uppercuts him where he flies up and falls.

Reinhart puts his hands on his hips looking at the sleeping knight. "Disgusting pollution backpacks are not on trend."

A knight tries hitting Angel with an axe and Angel blocks it at the hilt with his guitar but dad punches the guy on his helmet where a nose would be then kicks his shin.

Ana mockingly says to the knight. "You're such a phony."

Angel's face reddens and sounds embarrassed. "Dad! I could have handled it I'm not a baby anymore!"

Dad then says. "Sorry son but these guys are tough and we need to support each other we're all a team."

Isabella shoots one of her finger lasers at a knight knocking his shield out of his hand. Reinhart tosses me and I launch myself off the wall at the toss's peak and go so fast I knock out the knight.

Genji squats down, "A person's a person no matter how small they are. Don't ever listen to your haters."

I hope we'll all get through this okay. A tall copper diesel omnic rushes down the hall but Isabella transforms shooting it with her bow and arrow. She sees it ducking but she knew he would so she headshots it when it tried to duck.

We go into a room which stinks because of the diesel omnics cleaning it.

Judith flutters asking. "No offense but why do you pollute so much?"

"It's just how we're made."

Genji walks forward. "You know, I used to be a human, my brother beat me up so badly I literally thought I was gonna die. The rest of me was put into a shiny new robot body. If a human can become omnic then it should be far easier for you too."

One of the bots tells him. "Well I do feel bad for polluting so much. So who are you guys anyway?"

I tell them. "We're gonna defeat your emperor and then go out for ice cream!"

Winston laughs a bit then says. "After we take over we're gonna clean everything up. We'll clean the pollution, plant trees, and give you a good president."

A robot tells him. "Okay, you didn't hear it from us, but the security room down the hall will help you disable the alarm and you can make yourselves look like you belong here. But you can't open the emperor's throne room from there, for that you need to open it from the inside but you need to enter rooms on opposite ends. But one of you can go up one vent and the other up the other."

Dad puts the omnic's hand between his hands smiling, "Thank you. Don't worry we'll get him."

Amille peaks around the doorframe. "We should really get moving. They obviously know we're here."

We walk along the side of the hall but a knight comes out of a secret passage and attacks us! His armor is black and his apron is dark gray with gold trim. Rein blocks his punch and turns the whole right side of his body twisting his forearm putting his hips into his punch, clenching so hard the soft part of his knuckles get out of the way and hits the side of his face. His opponent drops his axe but tries headbutting Rein though Rein steps off to the side turns and hits him with the bottom of his palm. He take a couple steps back then rushes towards Rein a big smoky plume comes out making him faster and stronger.

He tries kicking Rein's side but Rein stands strong and punches him really fast even though he's wearing thick steel armor. Rein's opponent gets his balance back but Rein sweeps his arms out of his way stands wide, his arms gracefully flowing like water to push him. Rein knocks him against the wall.

Rein sounding like he's apologizing said. "I didn't really want to do that. He'll live though. Selfie time!"

He squats down low enough where his butt is a few inches off the ground, smiles, and puts bunny ears behind him and I take the picture. I then take another one and Reinhart requests I use a bear filter and another with a flower filter.

Ana leans over to look. "Taking excellent care of your teeth I see Rein."

The light gleams off his teeth.

Dad says teasingly. "I don't think our boss would like it because it isn't exactly professional, so maybe we can all just keep this between us so Jack doesn't see it your Insta."

Winston projects a map from his phone. "Hmm, as I expected. We'll need to cut through the courtyard but it's heavily guarded but I know we can do it."

I peak around the door and see gardeners tending to pines and morning glory bushes, climbing aloe, hibiscus, birds of paradise, and yucca plants.

Reinhart gets ahead of us as usual and mounts a horse and throws one of those gross diesel knights off his horse, his backpack spewing icky soot on the way down. Rein's horse stands up neighing.

I start cheering. "Overwatch Overwatch in the house! Overwatch knows what it's all about! Woot Woot!"

I look at Izzie checking her phone. I hope she's not saying anything nasty about me or anyone I like. "Izzie! You should have joined me. Please stop hating me?"

The horses all wear knight aprons and armor.

I whisper to Isabella. "All that smog can't be good for anyone's pores." She crosses her arms looking up at the climbing aloe near the white cinderblock wall. Gosh I can't stand being ignored. This will get her attention.

"Hey Izz, the captain's talking to you!"

Ana says sounding surprised. "I am?"

I look up to her lightly laughing, "I meant captain of the cheer squad."

I then tell Izzie, "Jordan smiled at me, he never notices you. Hmm, I wonder why?"

Isabella taps her foot really fast and her cheeks puff getting red and looks so hard away from me her eyes look like they're trying to spin to the other side.

Me and Angel run and hide behind a really tall weapon shelf.

I peak, wait for people to walk by, and we run behind the horse stables.

Aaah something's lifting us!

It's a tall omnic, "Hey kids are you lost?"

I take a deep breath and tell him. "We're here for...him." I point to the guy Rein threw. "Looks like he's practicing with his friend! How about that!"

He squints his metal eyelids at me. "You see I was being followed by this weird guy and I couldn't just go home because he'd find us there so I came here and..."

"You just got past our shield?"

"Oh, they know me so they let us in."

He drops us. "Okay I'm not buying it.

"K but we have a really important job you see. We're kids of that knight over there. You know the knight who got thrown off his horse by our friend?"

Wait, Rein said it gets cold a lot in Germany so it should get cold here too. "You did hear about the hard freeze warning right? I need to protect some of these plants. You don't want any exposed pipes freezing either."

Uh oh. Angel whispers to me, "I don't think he bought it."

A knight stands up from behind the morning glory bushes at the other end of the courtyard and...Oh no he caught Shauna!

If Shauna stopped me from creating a mudslide on my face then l should really help her back.

He yells "I found your friend!"

The omnic drops us and we run over and we move around the bushes and give Shauna a hug. She whispers. "Looks like we can pass."

We walk down the hall on a long red carpet and tacky gold chandeliers above us. I feel like we're being watched. Saving the world is such a tough job.

Hmm, I think we're being followed, there's a thick curtain and I just have to check if...

Rein tells me, "Don't peek or they'll see you. If they know we know then it's so on! Like, the game changes from needing to stay quiet without them knowing we suspect something following us."

Jayla Genji Shauna Mia and Isabella go the other way, because we'll cover more ground in smaller groups.

We walk further up the hall but guards stop us! It's so on. These knights have brass accents on their black armor and their helmets look like tall thin eggs and brass colored.

One of them uses a bladed spear so I turn and front tuck towards him but he backs away. I hate being on defense, I just can't get past his range! Angel plays his guitar and because I'm faster now I front tuck forward and try kicking him but his friend shield bashed me mid air. Why do I have to be so short? I suppose I can transform but something tells me these guys aren't the worst in this palace. Ana shoots one with a sleep dart, his helmeted head knocking against a wood table.

Dad rips the shield guy's shield away and hits him over the head with it, sounding like a gong.

"Hey fun sized gremlin! Ready to lose to me?"

Oh that is it! I front handspring triple full towards him screaming but he ducks my kick so I rush at him with my tonfa and dagger.

"That little girl is out of control!"

I glare at him and yell. "You're out of control mister!"

I hear Ana's sleep dart.

He keeps dodging me! Stay still you tacky pollution backpack thing!

Huh where are all these sparkling lights coming from? They hit him from all sides knocking him out.

Hey we're meeting our group again!

I thank Izzie. "I knew you like me! I'll even forgive you for not telling me about these cool moves you're learning." But she backs away from my hug.

Isabella says. "And I never showed you."

Jayla says. "We didn't want to fight them all in this narrow hall but in smaller groups we were better. I'm so glad everyone's safe!"

Oh Chloe just sent me a snap. "See this Izzie, Chloe snapped me, not you, me."

Her soles have a hole in them? This can't be good.

We enter an enormous room with a super high ceiling with so many fancy tables and these weird people get in our way.

Genji tells them. "We have a very important message for the emperor so if you'll kindly excuse us."

They don't look too happy. They look dangerous, except for that fat disgusting guy sitting down.

They scowl crossing their arms as the guy in front says. "We the Dieselopolis elite guard have been expecting you. Your invasion stops here. We stand as Dieselenos, we will make the world just like us because we're the best."

Everyone in our squad introduces themselves. "I'm Ana of Egypt. My country has changed so much over thousands of years. If we can change then so can you."

"Rein of Germany!"

"Genji of Japan! I used to be human but needed to replace my body so I'm a robot! In fact I love these people more than my own brother, who's still a big jerk who everyone hates."

Dad then tells them. "And the rest of us are men women boys and girls from America!"

Oh no he's got that I'm gonna do something embarrassing look on his face.

What, is, that? He's just waving his arms standing wide shaking his hips.

Me and Angel look at each other and hide behind one of the table's curtains. "Dad is not a dork, dad is not a dork, dad is not a dork."

I hear laughing. "Eww, Overwatch are such dorks!"

I facepalm. Angel looks embarrassed too. "I feel your pain brother."

Jayla says. "Me and Shauna come from Atlanta Georgia!"

Shauna says. "Yeah and some of us in Overwatch actually can dance!"

I whisper to my brother, "The tablecloth's moving behind you."

He moves. Gosh I hope we'll be fine.

Dad continues after her. "And me my daughter and my son and friend and her daughter here are from the US, specifically the city of..." Ugh, now they know we're his kids. Can this get any more embarrassing?

One of their backpacks whistles like a tea kettle while he tells them where we're from. "But our goal is bigger than any one country, we may seem different but we have the same goal. Sure we may look way different but we all share the same planet and we include all, never looking down on anyone's age gender orientation or skin color."

Amille then tells them. "Amille Lacroix of France! See, I'm not merely a French or European, I work for Overwatch. You guys are just Dieselenos. What do you even have to be proud of anyway? All you people ever do is pollute. You guys call yourselves free but only allow people to be free in certain ways."

Winston takes a step forward, "Because of climate change England, Finland and other countries have way worse wildfires and mudslides than they used to. If you let us through we'll arrest the emperor and you guys will have a way better life."

A tall armored guy smirks, the contempt in his eyes shooting through Winston. "Oh yeah well if you guys didn't act above the law we wouldn't have to defend ourselves against you and the Petras Act would never ever happen."

Winston then replies, "If control freaks like him..." he points to the disgusting fat guy sitting down. "didn't control everything then we wouldn't have to break nation's laws. Your pollution is unfair to everyone and I can't possibly let you get away with it."

He taps on his phone turning into a gorilla. "I'm Winston and I'm a gorilla from the moon! And Overwatch fully accepts that about me."

The cloth was moving this whole time and Isabella is peeping from under the cloth? I glare at her as she tries kissing my brother on the cheek.

I sharply ask her, "What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? Your brother is so cute!"

"Oh yeah what would Jordan think? I'm gonna tell him on his Instagram right now!"

"I'll just tell him you're lying."

Her lips were really close to his face.

She then walks up to me, "Oh remember how out of sync you were? Remember go go choo choo? And you finished after us!"

"We were just practicing our chant s and you know it! And I practiced singing which you didn't even want to join our band. Why do you have to be so stupid? And..." I think I just had an oh my gosh moment.

"You were the one who messaged Miss Elona fill out a recommendation slip for me. I almost didn't make the squad because of you. But I asked teachers who actually like me so ha."

She glares at me, meanly smiling. "Since when do you ever respect her?"

"Umm, never but that's besides the point! And she hates me anyway and you know it. I'm hurt that you'd do that to me."

She looks at her shoes then back up her lower lip covering her upper lip a little and walks towards me. "You always get ahead of me. I did cheer longer than you, they told me I was the star and everyone treated me like a princess."

"They're still very nice to you and know you're talented. Have you ever thought that I got ahead of you was because I never treated cheer like a chore? Like seriously yeah you're really really good but you're like a machine..."

Genji says quiet enough where they can't hear him but we can, "I heard that!"

"Sorry, I can tell your heart just isn't into it. You care more about doing everything right than a love of cheer."

She crosses her arms looking away from me, "Oh please, you probably used your magic."

"We're witches, besides when have I ever glowed during cheer?"

"Betcha know how to hide it, maybe Winston made something that disguises your glow."

I feel my eyes rolling. My powers were sealed when we made it to worlds when we were 6 anyway.

She's trying to kiss my brother's cheek again but we hear clanking so we peek out from under the cloth.

Genji deflects one's crossbow back to him but he hit his metal glove. A tall lady with two swords and looks mean is trying to hit Ana and I can tell she's quite good but Ana is better. She ducks her punch then judo throws her into the guy with the crossbow. She gets up then hits Ana even faster and punches her tummy.

A knight's backpack billows charging forward towards Winston knocking him down.

I see dad needs a little help so I jump on a chair then table and jump trying to grab his opponent from behind but I just fall instead. He's just too big although dad keeps hitting him. He grabs the guy's wrist spinning his back towards my dad. Dad then trips him to the ground the corners of his mouth full of confidence. He tells him. "You aren't bad for what you are, amateur."

Ana knocked her opponent to the ground but her teammate said, "Have you ever heard of no pain no gain? Ugh, you're such a wuss!"

Boom!

I look at a long smoketrail leading back to Amille and look at the other end and see a stumbling knight. He hit his head on the pillar and slips on the white marble floor. He's still alive but sleeping.

Shauna bubbles Jayla defending her from a knight's spear.

I jump off a table then a pillar for extra air and kick them in the back.

They turn around but Winston leaps on him.

I don't feel like I can do much. Why did they even bring me? I feel so skeeved just being in the same room as that guy. He's still sitting there staring at us while he eats his bacon cheeseburger.

Uh oh, that guy just turned into a big scary shark person! This looks like trouble, and this is taking longer than I thought. All the ice cream places are gonna be closed by the time we're finished, if we even finish.

He knocks over a few tables and throws one at me. It's too big for me to deflect so I dive and roll to my right avoiding it. Jayla rolls out of the way and fell through a trap door oh my gosh!

Rein sighs. "I hope she'll be okay."

A ninja lady jumps on Amille's chandelier and cuts it and Amille uses her grappling hook, but the ninja uses a boomerang cutting it and she falls and is sleeping I hope she's okay. If only I could intercept her but she's just too far. Winston leaps and swings off a chandelier and catches the ninja then tells her. "Enjoy the fall!"

But she stabs him with a needle and they both fall asleep.

The shark is charging toward me but I see Ana on the stairs but she can't shoot him because of the wall but she can see me. I deflect her sleep dart at the shark as he's charging at me and he slows down but doesn't sleep.

I block the shark's punches with my tonfa then slide on the marble floor off the carpet hitting him behind the knee. Judith divekicks him and Isabella shoots a laser making the carpet catch fire and I leap away before it gets bigger.

I yell at her. "Izzie! Did you have to do that right next to me!"

Dad punches the shark in the nose and Rein kicks him rolling into a cell.

Shauna looks at her watch, "They got backup coming get ready. I gotta save mom tho!"

Dad stops her. "Shauna! I wanna save her too but we need to defeat their backup together or else we're separated or they can attack us while trying to save her."

I look back at Isabella telling her, "You aren't the only one who knows a special new move you know."

Their backup walks through the door and Ana takes out an omnic with a sniper shot from the other set of stairs. Reinhart walks forward with his shield saying. "Don't worry I am your shield."

Dad tells me, "Don't worry we'll take care of it."

Shauna looks at her wrist, the cameras her and her mom set up streaming to her smartwatch, "Don't worry no one's coming though we didn't put any cameras up near their staircases."

I go into the next room and find a skateboard with a skull and neon purple flames behind it. I'm so stealing this.

It sounds like people are coming up the stairs so I peek just in case anyone's waiting and I ollie. I feel the air on my face and flowing through my hair as I skate the wall. After fully circling the stairwell I jump to the railing doing a railslide, the wooden deck against the metal handrail won't sound as annoying as grinding a metal axle against it. My dry shampoo and high messy ponytail keeps my hair out of my face.

A knight walks up the stairs so I jump on his head knocking him offbalance. I slide along the wall again and knock a light from above me then Irailslide again. The light rolls down the stairs tripping the other group ofknights.

The hallway's floor looks like a school hallway but narrower. I land but then I laser flip sticking the landing. I do a 5-0 grind on the front of a window then jump to the other side for like 2 seconds on the wall. Then I leap to the other hall taking a right. Why do I have to do this myself?

There's a small open window maybe the key I need is there? His desk has a couple of tablets, a laptop, and tall steel coffee containers.

I stretch my wrists then I move my shoulders back and stretch my arms forward feeling myself narrow. After my ribs get past the window I unstretch my arms then stretch my legs back. I don't think I can just slowly control my fall onto the desk because my hands just aren't reaching it while my feet hang onto the window ledge.

There's no way Izzie could ever make it through here. I'm feeling way better about myself, I'm able to rescue people I love and care about because I'm small. To be fair I don't think my brother or Shauna couldn't make it through either.

I tuck my chin closing my eyes slightly bending my elbows. I slide against the wall still facing it then crane my neck to see if anyone's coming. Whew thankfully it wasn't a far drop to the desk. It felt like a handstand pushup. I extend my legs behind me feeling my knees bend, and my feet softly land, careful not to make a sound. I stand normally again. A desk would not be a great cheer mat, like at all.

I hope my brother, Shauna's mom, and Judith are okay.

The room is small, and smells like minty eucalyptus and orange, like it's raining. I can smell someone making coffee, so someone's nearby.

I gently slide onto the floor then I quickly get up but I feel so lightheaded. I take my phone out of my armband and try texting Jayla but I can't reach her.

Oh crap I hear someone walking. I go behind the door peeking through the narrow hole and see a glass window reflecting someone using an eye scanner.

The guy says. "So you fell through the trap door huh? Hold on."

His belly presses against his tucked in shirt, his eyes tired with black circles. He turns, scratches his butt, and thuds while he walks while grumbling. "We spend billions on security and we're still invaded. Psh, what does the emperor even know."

Obviously he's too big for me to fight so I need to be extra careful. Good thing Isabella isn't here or she'd just give me away. I knew something was up when we ended our Snapstreak together. Why am I so stupid?

I need to get a picture of his eyes but if I'm able to then he'll probably see me. I roll under his desk behind a small trash bin zooming onto his face getting his picture.

Dad turned our camera sounds off just in case we needed it. I wait for him to sit down and I move so his feet don't touch me. That would definitely give me away.

I'm on the balls of my feet and back is hunched so I don't make any noise. I need to hunch my back because just crawling out would be too noisy and take too long. I dart out of the small room with the boring taupe carpeting.

His chair creeks. He says, sounding bored. "Must be the mice again." Then hear him rearrange the stuff I moved over walking on my hands.

I rush down the hall, feeling relieved my friends are okay. I put my phone up to the eye scanner and the door opens.

Angel Jayla and Judith give me a big hug.

Jayla says. "I'm so glad you came for us!"

We take a left out of here then go back upstairs back to the hotel looking fancy dining room.

Only Dad, Genji, Mia, and Isabella stand as everyone else is sleeping.

The gross guy wearing a suit and Gucci tie being worn like its cheap sitting down stands up. "Who needs them anyway. I have so much money I can make anyone I want hate you guys. Oh, I'm one of the people who did. Overwatch was going too far and I just couldn't stand to lose all those precious profits. Is this even a world worth saving? There I was standing in line for coffee saying loudly into my phone I'm late for work but did anyone give up their place in line? Noooo!"

He jumps and stomps. "Even when they looked back and saw how expensive my suit is they hushed me! I tell you no one has any respect."

Shauna whispers to me. "Sounds like he's the one with issues."

Mia then whispers to Jayla behind me. "His entitlement is so gross! Like seriously where does he get off acting like that?"

He continues his disgusting rant. "We do more than anyone else and the ungrateful poor won't even work longer for us."

Dad tells him. "Asking who is better or saying I'm better than you does nothing to make society better. Wanting to take advantage of others doesn't mean anyone owes you."

He laughs, with cheeseburger and pieces of bacon going down his shirt. "Oh yeah tell people to have empathy, like that's gonna work. When people are desperate they'll work for less so we can take advantage of that. Desperation doesn't care about your empty words or moral lessons."

Jayla then tells him. "But they know it's not right to breathe in all that brownish red smoke.

The greedy gross guy's eyes narrow, a gross shade of sangria travels from the sleeping knights to him and he transforms into a giant terrible leech.

He meanly laughs. "Mwa ha ha! Now it's your turn!"

I smirk at Isabella, "You think your new move is fire well watch this!"

I clench my fist to my sides, feeling intense energy flowing through me. I take a step back and my dagger glows and I throw hundreds and hundreds ultraviolet purple energy daggers. Okay, not hundreds, but still quite a lot. The leach dodged that many! I feel my mouth dropping and eyes widening.

Isabella laughs. "Watch this." She transforms and shoots so many arrows then she throws her bow in the air the weapon bow not her hairbow. It turns into lots of tiny pink lasers hitting the gross drooly leech monster. If he stood on his tail then his head would touch the very tall ceiling.

But he laughs.

Jayla's eyes narrow and she glows fuchsia and tries stabbing him with an energy knife but his tail knocks her down but Shauna bubbled her before she crashed into the wall.

He drools, "You guys still think you can win?"

I try picking up that really really big sword next to one of the knights but I just can't it's too heavy for me to use properly. Why do I have to be useless? I didn't think I can lift it but it was worth a try.

I feel so mad right now! I turn into my next form, I have 2 daggers now and can actually fly yay.

Genji tells him. "But if the world dies you won't have a planet to rule." Sounding like he honestly cares. If only more people did.

He laughs and says. "Why should he care about pollution because I won't be when everyone's extinct."

Reinhart gets up and Judith heals him. The giant leech dodges his charge and firestrike. He drops to a knee then stands up but the knight from the freeway earlier is here! This can't be good.

His armor is a deeper black than everyone else's, the gold trim even shinier. His friend a lady knight with an axe and shield looks scared.

She says "Me fight? I'm not very good at this and everyone will see that I can't fence! Have you seen the invaders?"

Like, we're right here people hello!

She continues. "I mean one of them is this huge guy in armor and another is this enormous gorilla! If we ever see them, then I'm out."

Then the knight from the freeway says, "You and me both!"

Then she says. "What we mean is...we'll defend the emperor? Yeah that's it!" Nervously nodding and she makes a help me face with big eyes and a big fake smile.

"I know you're afraid but you'll do well don't worry."

They don't seem surprised by the smelly gross giant leech trying to kill us.

He takes a couple of steps forward. "So you're Overwatch? And to think I've looked up to you people. Half your squad is down and it's just going to get worse from here. If you surrender we'll let you go home alive."

Reinhart crosses his arms, making a whatever face at him. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Then we have no choice."

He charges Reinhart but he can't push him, Rein is too strong. The lady tries hitting him from behind but Angel hits her with slow lights. Mia uses her swirly light move and it reflects the energy back at the lady trying to hit Rein. She falls back on her butt and pouts as she's getting up.

"See? Why did I even bother becoming a knight if I can't even defend anything?"

"You don't believe in yourself. Remember what we have to lose if we don't defend this place."

I dive kick the leech knocking him away. He tries hitting me with his tail and I let him because Shauna bubbled me. She then glows teal and Angel plays his speed song and Shauna uses a laser rope to distract him. I'm stronger because of the bubble but it or my transformation won't last so I slash and stab him near his front. He bleeds a yucky shade of lime green and it's eating through the marble floor and pillars. Genji's eye lights glow lime green as he leaps high into the air, double front tucks, draws his sword shouting. "The dragon becomes me!"

A dragon face flashes above his head as we both combine our attacks against him. We stand far apart so when we hit him it'll be at the same time in an X pattern. I shout to him.

"Ready?"

I wave my dagger and smile telling him my attack.

I wave my dagger and smile telling him my attack. I throw so many energy daggers at Genji and he deflects them back at our leechy opponent.

The leech staggers so I go back to normal but Genji's weakened too. I jump on a chair then a table then leap really high forward. But Isabella in her second form charged a really powerful shot after we weakened him finishing him off. Reinhart shields us from his acid blood.

Everyone quickly looks away from the falling leech corpse. It smells seriously awful.

My mouth feels dry yet I feel kind of warm. I smile and say, "I guess you're right, you won't be alive for it."

I face Izzie, smiling. "Thanks for saving me from having to get closer to that disgusting thing."

Mia tells us "I used my telekinesis so much keeping her away I just don't have my magic anymore."

Angel's magically tired too so he sits out.

It's now up to Reinhart and Ana. Reinhart grabs the big sword and uses it with one hand when I couldn't even use two. The knight draws his sword too and a big plume of reddish brown smoke comes out and he charges. Reinhart blocks his strikes and moves back, but there must be something I can do. I sneak under the only table that hasn't been tipped over yet.

I'm behind the knight and I hold my breath. He lifts Rein over his head like he's a plush but I slice his backpack so all the oil comes out and he slips on it. I run away but watch Rein somersault forward leaping up to his feet.

The other knight can't keep up with Rein's fencing skill anymore. No offense to Rein but he looks so tired but why does he look sad? He slowly blinks as his mouth droops.

Rein tells him. "It's a shame you'd fight for such an evil cause."

He tries charging Rein but Rein drops his sword and blocks him with his right arm, the other knight tiring himself out trying to push. Rein trips him and he tries getting up, but he falls asleep. Rein carries him away from the acid blood.

Rein yells to Winston. "Did you see that? I was so hardcore wasn't I? Like he could ever beat me."

Now it's time to help Ana but her opponent's swinging an axe. "I swear I will defeat you!"

Ana tells her. "heh heh heh, not a chance!"

Ana swings her right arm as she hops around her, the knightess is on one knee then gets up. Ana ducks another axe swing and she goes for a side swing which looks like it'd normally hit but Ana kicks it out of her hand.

Ana shakes her head saying, "Who taught you to fight like that?"

She looks into her eyes. "Now we're both unarmed and I was still winning this entire time. We need to get our planet back. You literally have everything to lose if you fight us."

The knightess blinks twice. She tries kicking Ana's side but Ana grabs her ankle, lifts it up to her face and she turns landing on her hands but Ana sleep darts her. "Nap time."

Winston walks over to us. "Great job everyone! I honestly don't know how much magic we have left. While you guys were gone Judith got us a blueprint of this place and when we go upstairs we'll need you two on the other side to open a door. You're the only ones who can fit through the vents. Can you do it?"

I feel so warm alert and fluttery. My eyes squint and I feel myself smile while I hop. "Yes!"

I hate going up stairs after such a workout. Hey Izzie's still trying to kiss my brother!

"Get away from my brother, Izzie!"

She sticks her tongue out then says. "What if I don't?"

"You'll see."

She puts her chin on her hand. "Hmm, oh yeah didn't you make out with that boy I like?"

"Who Jordan?! No! And even if I did I wouldn't tell you. You know, I think I do like him."

Dad tells us looking up. "We're here. You know that air vent? Well we're going to need you to crawl through it. Judith will crawl on the other side since we need you guys to open the emperor's door."

I jump up into the dusty vent wishing I got a mask to filter everything. I can tell the air quality is terrible we really should have brought masks. I am not even joking.

I peak down a vent in a white tiled locker room and wow are those guys hot! They're sitting with towels across their lap covering them. "Hey did you hear about all the fighting upstairs?"

"Yeah! That weird rich guy turned into a ginormous leech and then got cut into pieces by some omnic and the cutest little girl."

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Between you and me I hope they win because fascism and pollution stink. I think they're Volskaya agents. Wasn't that girl amazing?"

"She sure was. I guess we'll never understand her or her squad."

"When did you get such gorgeous eyes?"

"Oh you're just saying that."

"Nah I'm serious. I seriously think one of the knightesses has a crush on you."

"Do you really think so?"

"Would I ever lie to you?"

I can't let anyone down so I crawl further up the vent.

I think I'm over the throne room. Its walls are painted cherry red with fancy furniture. There's a big painting above the fireplace and a humongous TV on the other wall. There's a guy with gold spikes on his shoulder armor and wearing a crimson red cape. Who's that fat guy he's talking to?

The fat guy wearing a red shirt and puffy red shorts tells him. "I'm telling you there are children with magic powers invading our palace!"

The Emperor looks at him like he's an idiot, and stands up from his chair. "So let me get this straight, a group of kids somehow made it past my shield and just happened to knock out our elite guard?"

He puts his hands on his chin the grabs his tablet. "So would the kids happen to look like this by any chance?"

The Emperor shows him an image of Harry Potter's squad.

The fat guy blinks a couple of times, it's obvious he wants to tell him he literally has no idea what's going on but can't say anything.

The emperor pokes his belly. "I know what your problem is tubby. You've been eating too much In-N-Out haven't ya?"

His cheeks glow bright rose.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have to meet a very important person, I'm gonna make a deal"

"Excuse me sir but the guy turned into a giant leech and the group of kids and Overwatch made him explode!"

He rolls his eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me."

I crawl more because I don't want to get caught. I'm the best at hiding I swear. Shauna, Isabella, Jacob, or even my very own brother could never find me when we'd play hide and seek at Goodwill.

I look into a lobby and drop myself in. Judith texted me. "Ready when you are."

Okay, I'm not quite ready. I sneak behind a cute knight who's sitting down and...yes I got the selfie. Everyone's gonna think I'm so cool and I can't wait to see Isabella's face when she sees this! Oh, she blocked me on everything.

I peek, then run down the hall into the room where I open the door. I text Judith telling her I'm ready letting in my squad.

Shauna smiles and gives me a big hug. "I knew you could do it! See? If you weren't so little you wouldn't have helped us."

We run up the stairs and Genji walks forward.

"You are under arrest!"

One side of the emperor's mouth turns. "Yeah okay. Can you get me my coffee and fix the gate?"

Ana sounding annoyed tells him. "Listen, you're finished. You and your whole country!"

Reinhart then says. "Big mood! I'm here because I have a passion for all that's good."

The emperor says. "Ha, good one. You got that from a grocery store didn't you?"

Winston answers. "Yes, but that's besides the point!"

He looks at Isabella and squats down, sounding condescending. "Hey little girl! I think you've taken a wrong turn. You see, this is the royal palace, the kid's beauty pageant is right down the street that way."

Shauna rolls her eyes shaking her head. "No I'm pretty sure we're in the right place."

Dad tells him. "Okay mister smelly butt we're taking you now."

The emperor says sounding fake offended. "Hey, the proper ways of addressing me are emperor, master, that wonderful handsome leader, should be king of the world, and that guy with the cool diesel armor, not mister smelly butt!"

Oh this is too easy. "Whatever you say, mister smelly butt."

Angel says. "Woah, we did it! We overthrew an evil empire!"

Mia then says, sounding proud. "Your world domination just wasn't in the stars."

"Okay little boy do you seriously think it's over? I bet you guys aren't really magic."

Angel tells him. "Yeah it is over."

"I wasn't talking to you I was talking to her."

Mia's mouth drops, her eyes widening with offense. "Can you believe him?"

Jayla responds. "I know right!? If anything you should get shaded for making Izzie dress like you. You even have the same high messy ponytail.

I have to step in. "Now's not the time okay we're so close to stopping climate change!"

The emperor looks down at me. "Aww does the cute widdle gwemlin think she can make a difference? Yes she does, yes she does."

He stands back up saying. "You see miss, if all that bad stuff happens then I make so much money solving the problem! Isn't it great?"

I feel myself stew, and I scrunch my eyebrows together staring at him making it clear I'm so mad. He's such an idiot. "Climate deniers make me sick!"

"You look well because I'm not denying it, I'm trying to benefit from it. My empire's all I have."

A guard blinks twice, frowning. "Well what about us?"

He has a look on his face asking seriously? "What about you? You guys let these Volskaya spies in and cost me so much money! Good diesel power armor doesn't come cheap you know."

Genji glows green drawing his sword.

The emperor's face drops, his eyes widen in fear as he shakes. He starts running.

Genji yells. "Get back here big boy!"

"Stay away from me you cyborg freak!"

We follow him but the Volskaya guards from the shield generator tower tell us. "We'll take him from here."

The emperor looks scared. "This isn't over you know! People like me rule the world because we deserve to!"

Winston tells him. "Selfish greedy people like you are why the world's falling apart. If your definition of best means how much money and how little empathy they have then I feel sorry for you. I've seen your subjects, they seriously hate you. They just want clean air but do they get it, no! Because someone is greedy."

They disarm his armor, I read a tag that says Helix Security.

Winston walks with the Volskaya undercover agents. "They glorified the past without seeing how the present is actually better. Let's build something new together. Something for everyone."

Winston presses a button and cloaks himself in his human disguise. "How about that ice cream I promised you?"

I crane my neck looking up to him, smiling. "I've been looking forward to this all day."


	5. Chapter 5: The Semiformal

Overwatch and Volskaya send robots out to clean the air, water, and plant trees. Did I do enough? Did I hold my squad back at all? Gosh I hope not.

Winston parks his spaceship back and we all drive for ice cream. We all raise our hands yelling yay!

Jayla tells Isabella. "You're a bright beautiful kid but you acted so badly on our mission today. How can you treat such an amazing girl like Ashley so terribly?"

"You don't know her like I do. And my skin feels terrible!"

Mia tells her. "Why did it have to be us? The universe wants my daughter to star in a show, not risking her life. Oh, stop scratching it."

Dad tells everyone. "Think of what we've accomplished. It'll be awhile before all the damage they caused is fixed though."

We find a long table to sit at and Isabella orders vanilla ice cream with a cone sticking out of a metal bowl but you know what? Why should I try fighting for a friendship that obviously won't work. It still hurts, but I know I have such amazing friends who accept me for what and who I am. Shauna orders prickly pear sorbet and so do I. Angel orders Reese's ice cream with a chocolate cone sticking out, and dad orders watermelon shaved ice.

I savor every teeny tiny bit of flavor, letting the ice cream melt in my mouth. I've been looking forward to this all day.

I ask Shauna. "Do I even deserve any of this though? Isabella still isn't my friend and I feel like I let her down."

She touches my hand. "It's alright. You were so amazing!"

A random person takes our picture. I whisper to Shauna. "Who's that?"

Winston shrugs. "Oh, it's because I'm famous, member?"

A guy walks up to Winston shaking his hand. "You were simply fabulous in Cosmos my dude! You're really kind spending time with your fans like this."

Isabella's face goes red while she darts her eyes, putting her face between her arms.

Mia tells her. "It's rude to rest your head on the table you know."

Dad watches the news on his tablet. "January 2069 will go down in history as the day Dieselopolis got taken down."

They interview so many of the people we fought. They mention us magic kids, Judith and Genji, and that Cosmos guy turning into a gorilla. A newslady laughs and says. "And that's how we know breathing in all that pollution is bad for your brain."

Her partner sounding excited responds. "Is climate change destroying our world? Of course! Does Professor Winston go on secret missions overthrowing evil countries turning into a gorilla somehow? Of course! Should we all stan Winston? Of course! "

Winston's fan laughs and says to him jokingly. "You were amazing beating them up while still being here!"

He literally has no idea. None at all.

Jordan skateboards outside knocking over parked Bird scooters, gosh I hate those annoying things. I can feel Isabella glaring at me but I don't care.

I walk past a locker wall outside and a girl giggles whispering to other girls. "Oh my gosh look how tiny she is." While glaring meanly at me.

I walk up to them, asking if there's a problem. "You can be our friend when you're normal height."

I look into her eyes, smirking telling her she's gonna get roasted, "You know, I'm glad you're so tall because there's more of you to hate."

I walk away from them, slowly flipping my hair.

I make it to Elona's science class early so I go into the smartboard and advertise my next cheer meet for the whole class to see. I lean back resting my feet on her desk.

Oh, she's here, and she looks mad. I just smirk at her like I don't even care.

I can so tell she thinks she has it all over me. "And this is why I rated you poorly on respectfulness. Like seriously in what universe do you think I'd recommend a brat like you? Your behavior right now isn't very ladylike."

My cheer coach walks in. "Go ahead, everyone knows you don't like cheerleaders. Everyone knows Isabella was jealous of Ashley so she went to you to sign out her form but her youth cheer coach said she couldn't recommend Ashley enough."

I still miss cheering with her. She never told me freezing water bottles wasn't ladylike and always checked up on me on Insta whenever I was sick.

Coach looks at me. "Don't worry Ash I'm sticking up for you."

I go back to my desk and see Elona sink into her chair, defeated.

I sit down at the lunch pavilion with my lunch and these two geeky boys in thick glasses walk up to Isabella. "You got to sit next to Winston, that Winston? Is he a guest on the show you're in?"

Isabella does a 180 and starts running waving her arms. "I'm not a geek stay away from me!" I look down at my tablet seeing on Winston's Instagram the picture that guy took, and people on YouTube talking about Winston eating ice cream with the children.

Carlos takes a fistful of Taki's and while grossly chewing them says. "I can't wait until the dance."

Angel ask him. "I thought you were ace?"

Carlos shrugs. "I am but you know there's gotta be delicious food there. You were so amazing Abby."

Abby smiles. "Thank you."

I hate being the last to know. "Why am I the last to know about your game?"

She just giggles and shrugs. "I heard you saved the world. Of course the news doesn't know it but Angel told me everything."

Shauna tells her. "Darn right we did. Oh my gosh was the air gross. Like it made you wanna throw up. And Ashley met a fellow cheerleader. She's one of her fans too like I knew Ashley has her fans but around the world?" Her eyes got bigger when she said around the world.

Jacob then says. "I can't wait until the dance this weekend."

My hair is in lots of tiny little bouncy waves, and I wear a purple plaid skirt with a flounced asymmetric hem with ultraviolet purple Tiek's ballet flats, black leggings with little stars on them, and a Hello Kitty skateboarding black crewneck.

Oh there's Shauna. She's wearing short thick braids and an I heart Earth written in black and the heart looking like a map and our home written in pink sweatshirt in light turquoise with a together change is possible a square near her wrist.

The gym has lots of tables set up with different pastries set up and decorations, which the cheer team helped put together. It's environmentalism themed with forest green sky blue and brownish red ribbon. Chloe made DIY panda faces while I brought lion and giraffe posters. We have a cranking DJ playing the best music you can dance to.

I hear the distinct sound of skateboarding wheels. Jordan's wearing Vans Sk8-Hi's for shoes, black skinny jeans, Empyre Chancer red and black zip up flannel unzipped, over his mop of dirty blonde hair with strands peeping out is a black dad hat with Vans written in white, and a black thrasher shirt. I stand just outside the gym and Jordan nosegrinds on a lunch table then railslides down a handrail, then railslides along a curb where they're growing plants and leaps over a bench. He's going really fast on his way into the gym. He flies by everyone really fast, and jumps over a bench landing on his skateboard again then kickflips it up then hides it under a cheese wedge mat.

Elona gets mad, of course she had to volunteer as one of the teachers to volunteer for the dance, and she walks up to scold him. "Skateboarding on school grounds is not gentlemanly behavior."

I thought of the best plan ever. "Hey Jordan! It's so nice of you to skate for charity on YouTube."

He looks confused. Stop blowing my cover for you.

Shauna walks over smiling. "See I got it all on tape."

Elona tells us, "No matter, rules are rules."

Jordan kicks his skateboard away. "What skateboard?"

The principal walks over to us. "Okay Jordan. What was it this time?"

I look up telling her. "He didn't do anything wrong I swear. She hates me too and she doesn't like how he ask too many questions in class."

She strokes her chin, "Hmm, I see. You wouldn't happen to be lying would you?"

Shauna Angel and Jacob back me up. "Okay Jordan you can stay, but only if you continue behaving yourself alright?"

"Sure thing Misses principal."

Izzie's hair is in a high ponytail and wearing a bubblegum pink crewneck with a big ruby red sparkling heart, mid thigh sparkly cerise tulle skirt, glittering cerise pink bow, bubblegum pink ballet flats, and white ballet tights with a rose and vine pattern going up the side of her leg.

She rushes up to Jordan smiling, blinding him with her perfect white teeth reflecting off the sun pouring in from the open door. "Hi Jordan! Isn't this dance fun?"

I can tell he doesn't like her. "Sorry Isabella I'm kind of seeing someone."

She smiles. "Okay." Then turns, her cheeks puff when she's not facing him anymore.

So many boys asked me to dance, of course I turned them all down gently.

Jacob's shoot dancing with another boy and Angel. Angel then walks over to see me. "Great music huh sis?"

Melissa's wearing dressy cream white pants, thin dark brown belt, a brown cap sleeved scoop neck shirt, black short heeled dress shoes, and her long medium brown hair combed straightened and with boxed bangs.

She walked past me and I can smell her perfume, which actually smells nice, with hints of orange and vanilla. Please don't be mean to my brother.

After she walks behind him he tells me, "I really love that smell."

Melissa talked to three other girls and is coming back. She twists her hair around her finger looking at Angel but then she puts her hands on her hips, the corner of her mouth going up. "You can't dance, can you Angel?"

He scratches the back of his head. "I can and I did, okay?"

She then looks at him, shaking her head. After my brother turns she runs back to her friends while they giggle.

Ugh, it's Jonathan. He's walking up to Shauna thinking he's so smooth. "Hey wanna dance with me?"

"You weren't very nice to my friend and she thought you were cute."

"Come on! Just one dance? Forget about her."

Shauna's eyes widen and does a forced smile. Melissa walks over, scowling at him while she crossing her arms. "She doesn't like you okay? So will you do us a favor and just go away, please?"

Jordan walks over to me, gently brushing a piece of hair out of my way. "Shall we dance? The DJ told me it's almost time for a slowdance jam."

I look up to him, "Yes."

A geeky boy and his friend walk up to Isabella, "Hey it's that girl who was sitting with the Professor Winston! Shall we dance together?"

Isabella backs away slowly, then turns around yelling, "I'm not a geek!"

She waves her arms and hits the punch spoon and it flies in the air, landing on Miss Elona.

Shauna, Angel, Carlos, Abby, Jacob, and I all laugh at them their humiliation.

Angel takes a step back accidentally bumping into Melissa. He's so scared and apologizes so much. She puts her wrists on his shoulders. "It's okay. I was just walking for a bottle of water he he but there's like so little room."

I can tell she did it on purpose.

Jacob dances with a boy and Abby a guy from her soccer team.

The song starts so I lock eyes with Jordan and smile, letting my hands drape over his shoulders. The lights dim, and I want to move my forehead across his lips, but he'll know it was on purpose. His hands feel warm on my back, I accidentally step on his foot a few times, but he doesn't look like he minds. He whispers in my ear...please tell me I dance wonderfully. "Guess what? I knocked over Elona's scooter a few days ago and everyone else's scooter fell! I hate Elona and I hate scooters so yeah. I swear scooters just ruin skate parks."

I slightly tip toe and whisper. "I spiked a casting director's coffee with laxative. She made me feel so ugly and I hated it."

Jordan then says, sounding impressed. "No way!"

"Yeah."

"I really love how you and your squad decorated the gymnasium."

I smirk looking right at Izzie then I stick my tongue out at her. She's staring at us meanly crossing her arms. She's such a salty jellyfish I swear.

Jordan kisses my forehead, the electrifying warmth spreading across my forehead feels fantastic. My stomach butterflies are going crazy.

He pulls me closer to him and I rest my head and hand on his chest.

After the dance I tell Jordan the dance was amazing.

Angel's cheeks glow a deep coral while Melissa blushes deep rose. She looks in his eyes for a long time. She turns and sits with her friends again then I thank Jordan for the dance. He is such a wonderful dancer. His sandalwood and dragon's blood cologne still held after he skateboarded.

My tummy butterflies still flutter and my knees still feel weak. Why did our dance have to end so soon?

I love sigh then tell my friends, "Jordan is such an amazing dancer."

Shauna says, "You two looked so happy! I bet Izzy was jealous."

I hear Melissa behind us telling her friends, "I can't believe I actually liked dancing with him! It sort of just happened. He shouldn't get used to me being nice to him."

So you really like my brother but are too embarrassed to admit it? Don't worry Melissa I won't tell anyone. Because I'm just too nice for that.

Shauna says, "Isn't it amazing how we made a difference in the world?"

"I'm proud of us too Shauna."

Shauna shows the rest of us the news. A 15 year old girl is standing on the steps in front of the palace we invaded. "Hi everyone! I've been appointed by the UN to lead this place into a better future. Our cleaning, watering, and reforestation efforts are going well. I would like to thank Volksaya for taking down the old polluting government."

Jacob says. "Too bad you guys can't get credit for it because of the stupid Petras Act huh?"

I smile telling him, "We made a difference."

We all get up and just dance together.


End file.
